A few months ago I made one of the scariest, most exciting decisions of my life: I changed careers. I had been quite unhappy with the projection of my engineering career and felt like I was slowly losing the creative side of myself. That is, until I discovered UX Design. At my last job, I proposed to redesign the company’s website, and luckily, they agreed. I’m not going to lie, the freedom of being able to be 100% creative, and left to my own devices, felt great. More than that, what really drew me in was the potential impact my design could have on society, so I decided I wanted to learn more about the field.
Through my research I found General Assembly. They provide a 10-week immersive program for UX Design in which you are given the tools to complete five web/mobile applications. I recently finished the program, and below are my biggest takeaways from this career change:
Be Eager to Learn and Remain Humble. Regardless of your previous background, you have to keep an open mind and be ready to absorb all of the knowledge presented to you. Maybe you’ve already been exposed to the material or it comes easy to you. If this is you, then take the time to teach others – this will not only allow you to lock in the material but help your fellow peers advance. It’s a win-win.
Work Hard. Whether that means putting in extra hours to make sure you master a new software program or taking the initiative to find the resources that will allow you to achieve your goals. The road to changing careers is not easy, but if you want it bad enough, fighting for it becomes a habit.
Don’t get hung up on the little things. Going through a change means learning something new, and often times, new means making mistakes. You have to know that that’s ok. The process of mastery is a cycle of trying, failing, learning from it, and moving forward. Focus on the process, and the fine details will come later.
Get Involved, Network! By this, I don’t mean pestering people at Meetups just to try and find a job. I mean reaching out to those who are working on projects or a product that you are genuinely interested in. If this career is truly something you’re excited about, you’ll have a lot of questions, so get out and network. Attend events that discuss areas you’re interested in and can help you advance in this new career. Find people that may be able to answer your questions, and who knows? You might even make new friendships.
Get a Mentor. Find people that are where you want to be and connect with them. Find out how they got to where they are, and ask for advice. If it’s a good match, ask if they would be willing to mentor you. Scared to reach out to someone? Don’t be. I sincerely think that most people find more joy in helping others succeed than being praised for their own success.
Never forget your support group. Arriving at the finish line is seldomly a solo act. I’m sure that you’ll have friends and family cheering you on until the very end, so just make sure you give them the appropriate thank you. They are a blessing that should not be taken for granted.
Whether you’re looking to change careers, or simply wanted to get someone’s perspective on the matter, I hope this article helped and maybe even encouraged you a bit if you yourself are feeling a bit lost.
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