This is the second part of a two-part series covering online learning resources, the importance of finding the right fit, and what to do your first year on the job. Part one covers the basics of beginning a career in user experience, plus a look at traditional schooling and bootcamp learning options.
Options for learning continued…
Online resources for leading a career in UX
Continuous learning is the absolute backbone of a career that must endure the constant change of technology. Whether the resources are free or paid, it’s a UX designer’s responsibility to embrace the mindset of a life-long-learner. Now, when I say ‘resources,’ I’m casting a pretty wide net.
I get excited about online resources, especially free ones. There is a ton of high-quality (and often free) UX information on the internet. I’m not sure if it is something uniquely ingrained into the tech mindset (open source?), or if all industries experience something similar.
Simply put, the flow of free user experience resources is deep and wide:
- eBooks
Step one: get a library card. Some libraries allow you to request a card online, and it shows up in the mail in one to two weeks. It’s so easy. Step two, download Overdrive (or their inexplicable sister app Libby) and start placing holds! Through either app, you’ll have access to any ebook or digital audiobook available through your local library. The ebooks can even be delivered directly to reading devices like the Kindle (I own the paperwhite, and it’s my personal fav). Yes, there are wait times while copies are checked out to others, but with a little patience you’ll have access to a wealth of top-notch information for absolutely no cost.
Not your style? Nostalgic of a simpler time, when Amazon only sold books? Yeah, me neither. Nowadays, in addition to purveying yodeling pickles and gallon-sized pails of duck fat, Amazon does in fact still sell books. So, if you’re not keen on your books expiring after 28 days, go ahead and buy them instead. E-readers have the capacity to hold a massive number of digital books, so it’s possible to own an extensive library without adding hundreds of pounds to your assembly-required swedish shelving. That is, until you cave and buy that used copy of Josef Müller-Brockmann’s Grid Systems because physical books feel awesome!
- Audiobooks
Audible is one great resource for audiobooks. I recently listened to Creativity, Inc. on Audible. It’s a first-hand look at the widely-applicable story of Pixar and how they nurture talent, creativity, and inspiration.Very cool, and highly recommended.
Also see: Overdrive. Yes! They do audiobooks too! It’s pretty much amazing.
- Blog articles
Because the act of blogging is a great way to provide value to others while also growing yourself, there are a ton of highly knowledgeable individuals out there creating amazing content online just because they can. It’s free, and you should absolutely take advantage of it. Even larger companies put out fantastic free content because it’s ultimately beneficial to them. Ie, content marketing. (If you’re unfamiliar with content marketing, Google it. I’ll work on getting an article posted about it myself and link it here.)
- Podcasts
Podcasts are great because, like audiobooks, they fit easily into your daily schedule. The time you spend commuting, at the gym, washing dishes, and sitting on the couch binge-watching Netflix—it’s kind of wasted from an efficiency standpoint. That whole time, you could be listening to an informative podcast that furthers yourself professionally or personally. Podcasts can be listened-to on a number of platforms including iTunes and Spotify. Some of my favorites shows right now are How I Built This, This is Product Management, the User Defenders Podcast, and the Myths and Legends podcast (because creative minds need breaks, and I love me some historic fantasy).
- Forums
Allow me to paint you a picture. You’re minding your own business at the office or in class, when you’re presented with a problem you’re unfamiliar with, or don’t know how to solve. What do you do? You Google it. Immediately. Because it’s extremely likely there’s someone out there who already encountered your same problem, figured it out, and posted about it on their forum of choice for Google’s web crawling bots to digest. The most up-voted answers are now yours, for your reading pleasure. The usual suspects: Stack Exchange (and Stack Overflow), Reddit, Quora, and platform-specific support forums.
- Tutorials
If forums provide the most granular answers to your burning questions, then tutorials are the next step larger in scope. From written tutorials on how to write user personas and creating SVG animations, to video breakdowns on the differences between UX and UI, you will find topics pertaining to a wide range of UX-related disciplines.
- Part-time courses
Part-time courses are usually the most expensive non-traditional option, and probably follow the most conventional schooling model. Classes last for a specified, finite period of time, and require the student to keep up with pre-planned activities along the way. The cadence consists of homework assignments, periodic knowledge assessments, and some level of interaction with the teacher and/or teacher’s assistants. Purveyors of these part-time courses will often offer both online and in-person courses (or bootcamps). When done in-person, these IRL classes are sometimes even endorsed by local universities and hosted on campus. A few of the part-time courses and bootcamps out there are General Assembly, Trilogy Education Services, Bloc, and DesignLab.
- ‘At your own pace’ courses
Rounding out the list, these un-paced courses provide additional freedom, but also lack accountability. These work well for me because they’re typically a lot cheaper than part-time courses (think $10-$100), and allow me to take bite-sized chunks when I have the time. However, if you’re the kind of person who needs someone keeping you honest, then steer clear, Big Tuna. Head for open waters. Offerings include Udemy (I’ve purchased courses from here in the past), Lynda, Skillshare, Udacity, and Coursera. Also, a big shout-out to Khan Academy. They don’t have much in the way of user-experience material, but it’s free and awesome.
The “real world”
I personally changed course a bit after school (which is quite common), so a lot of the work I do now relies on knowledge gained after my formal education was complete. This post-schooling knowledge logically breaks down into two categories: continuous learning (like the resources noted above), and on-the-job training.
If you’re old enough to remember MTV’s Diary (RIP), then you remember the quote, “You think you know, but you have no idea.” This mantra entirely sums up the experience actual work will impart on you. My advice to you here—take the jobs that get you closest to the things and people you’ll learn the most from, not necessarily what pays the most now. If you follow this advice, the pay will eventually catch up, and many times over. When in doubt, just jump in and get your feet wet.
Finding the Right Fit
It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking for your first role, transitioning to a new team, or moving between companies. The number one factor in getting hired is finding the right fit. Some call it core values, some call it culture, and some people call it an organization’s soul The name doesn’t matter. Here’s what does: good hiring managers and HR folks aren’t hiring you for your skills alone, they are hiring you for your potential trajectory.
What’s more, your potential depends a lot more on who you are than what you know. Do you prefer having a clear direction, or being dropped into ambiguity? Are you good at executing orders, or do you take issues with authority? Outside of work, do you tinker with your car, exercise, build apps, or spend time with your family?
None of these are inherently good or bad, but the people on the other side of every interview table will be looking for the exact ingredient that will perfect their team cocktail. Now burn this into your brain: you must examine these teams and organizations in the exact same way. Fit is a two-way street.
Five Pointers for Your First Year on the Job
- Be your authentic self. You’ll reap rewards in the long run.
- NEVER be afraid to ask questions.
- Always respect other people’s time. Be early. Stay on schedule.
- Never underestimate your own value.
- Don’t feel like you always need the right answers. Just the right questions. See point number 2.
So, you want to start a career in UX design? Good. Awesome, in fact. For every empathetic individual who embraces the measured and intentional approach that design thinking cultivates, the world benefits.The opportunities in the industry are singularly ripe for the taking, and never in history have you been more empowered by technology to take a bite.
Let me know in the comments if you have questions on anything I brought up, and I’ll do my best to answer them. Good luck out there.