A Creative Consultant’s Tale — Part 2

Transition, Growth and a Bit of Wisdom

Welcome back to A Creative Consultant’s Tale. As you may recall from Part 1 of this series, I was engaged in some competitive interviews for two different opportunities. Both were senior user experience (UX) roles. One for an energy conglomerate and the other for a credit monitoring company. As I mentioned, one of these interviews would result in the job I have today. I had learned my lesson on how consulting contracts often end. I had also gone through my professional transition and promised you some growth and a bit of wisdom. So, let’s do that.

The Interviews

All companies are in different stages of digital transformation, so their adoption of UX is varied. With this, their interviews are also varied. Late adopters of UX may not have a concise idea of how it fits in their operation. Their interviews are mostly conversations on your background, methods and proficiency. They are hoping to learn something from you as a consultant. So, you must be able to articulate the value of your skills in a variety of ways they can understand.

Then there are companies with a more advanced application of UX in place. They also want to know your holistic approach to the job and what you might be able to teach them. In addition, there are likely some tests and possibly a bit of homework. Overall, they will have a more definitive idea of what they’re looking for.

I experienced both types of interviews with these companies. Which company had which type is not important. What is important is that both interviews went very well, and one led me to where I am today.

Which Job Did I Get?

When all was said and done, the energy conglomerate decided I was a close-second. They said they would keep me in mind for future roles, which is usually just a nice way to say, “better luck next time.” Fortunately, I had already received an offer from the credit monitoring company. Why not lead with this good news? I was keeping it in my back pocket to interject a lesson.

Sometimes, you might have multiple offers to choose from. It would be nice if every hiring manager told you their decision at once, but that will probably never happen. I was thrilled to receive the credit company’s offer and was seriously considering it. Still, I wanted to hear what the energy conglomerate had to say before deciding. I could have had more than one offer. Wouldn’t that be a nice position to be in?

Before Deciding

I needed some advice on how to handle the situation. I didn’t want to tell either company something to the effect of, “I might go to the dance with you, but I want to see who else asks me first.” That seems rude and they might move on if I made them wait too long. I thought it would be even ruder to accept their offer and then back out for another. I didn’t want to burn any bridges.

My Synergis recruiter and I came up with the following strategy: I would ask the credit company for a few days to respond and she would press the energy conglomerate for their answer. Again, I wanted to have all my options on the table. I also had to consider the commute for these roles. One was as short as ten minutes and the other could take nearly two hours. I think anyone familiar with Atlanta traffic can appreciate that.

Alas, the energy conglomerate made my choice much simpler by not offering me the job. With that, I would embark on a very far commute into the world of cybersecurity. The commute was worth it though. In this role, I received an experience and education that I’m very grateful for today.

Let’s Get Back to Work

The job was to design an application that would facilitate the entire cybersecurity operation. They desired a system that enabled their different security divisions to intercommunicate and manage tasks in a manner that followed their rigorous protocol. The idea was to create their own unique task management system. One outfitted with many custom features ideal for the task of dealing with threats. So essentially, a threat management system.

Designing such a system would require considerable research. It would also require considerable privilege. I had to be able to interact with each siloed division in ways that most others were not allowed to. This scope required me to have an elevated level of clearance that gave me a view of the entire operation.

The Research

In Part 1 of this series, I suggested that a shadowing research methodology was pivotal for projects of this scope and complexity. This case would be no exception. However, I would not have nearly as much access to the end users as I did with previous jobs. This was simply due to the demanding nature of their occupation. This was not the type of environment where I could casually drop in on people for a chat. I would have to develop a more structured channel of communication.

I arranged a series of one-on-one interviews with multiple members of each division. If possible, I didn’t want the sessions to take more than an hour. This provided a relatively consistent feed of the information I needed without getting in the way. It also challenged me to refine my interview process for maximum effectiveness.

A single hour goes by in a flash when covering such technical processes. If you don’t prepare well, the session could end before you feel it’s really begun. Try to know as much as possible about your subject and their role before your first session. Determine the most relevant questions so you will receive the most relevant answers. Structure your questions and how you ask them in a way that builds a constructive discussion. Also, have a few tricks to keep people on track. Think of this process as an investigation of sorts. An Information Investigation.

The Right Place

For several months, I meticulously gathered bits and pieces of information while iterating a prototype for this threat management system. I spent countless hours discussing intelligence, forensics, countermeasures and other security-related disciplines. Every morning, I attended an intelligence brief. Every day I learned a new aspect of this operation and the dubious world it’s up against.

Meanwhile, my contract’s end date was approaching. Overall, the job was going well, but there was still considerable work to be done. The company was not at all disappointed by this. They expressed great appreciation for my work. They also expressed a realization of what an undertaking this application would be. They seemed to be questioning if they were ready to develop an integrate such a system.

The Wrong Time

Regardless of this apprehension, many colleagues felt there was a good possibility my contract would be extended. I appreciated the optimism, but as I learned from my previous contract, a good possibility is not a sure thing. Knowing this, I started a dialogue with my Synergis recruiter a month before the contract’s end date. I wanted to have several other prospects lined up in case my contract was not renewed. I’m glad I did.

As my end date approached, the credit monitoring company ultimately decided it was not the right time to pursue this application. It seemed there were more pressing matters that would require the company’s utmost attention. There were no hard feelings; in fact, many pleasantries during my final weeks. I was assured I did an excellent job and would be considered if they decided to recommission the threat management system.

So, Where am I Today?

At this point, you might be a little confused. After all, I did say the two interviews detailed earlier would lead to where I am today? Yet, I only got one of the offers and was just let go from that role. How does that work? Because I eventually got both the jobs. I was keeping that in my back pocket to interject another lesson.

Sometimes, when a potential employer says they’ll keep you in mind for future roles, they really mean it. The energy conglomerate that once considered me a close-second was now considering me their first choice for a new opening. I didn’t even have to interview again. They were already convinced. Fortunately, this was right around the time my contract with the credit monitoring company was ending. I was able to transition from one job to next with almost no downtime.

So, that’s where I am today. It’s actually where I’ve been for three years now. With this energy conglomerate, I have designed applications for its customer service, internal operations, energy optimization and more. It’s not exactly the “startup life,” but I’m way over that. In fact, I like to think this organization was one of the coolest startups around a hundred years ago.

After three years, I’m still very fond of the job. I genuinely appreciate the many innovative projects I get to work on. The variety keeps the work interesting and my enthusiasm high. In a way, the job has never really stopped feeling new. Yet, the wonderful relationships I’ve established here feel like they’ve existed for ages. My colleagues and I have a great rapport that’s pleasant, constructive and honest. I receive ample validation and inspiration from our leadership. I’m one of the lucky people who can honestly say they love their job. I’m always growing as a creative professional and have gained a bit of wisdom that’s worth consideration.

That’s where I am today. Thank’s for your consideration.