UX Heroes: Networking For UX Professionals
takeaways from UX Heroes Podcast episode no. 37 in English :)
Of all the skills a UX professional must have, talking to people will always be #1
Whether it is reaching out to candidates for testing or doing user interviews for market research or talking at conferences or just talking to the squad at work, no UX designer can get away from talking to people.
Introverts like me hate to admit it, we love to go Batman style and do it all ourselves, but that just doesn’t work, and even if it did for a while, it doesn’t scale.
So when I listened to this episode from my favorite UX podcast, UX heroes, I just had to share the notes because everyone should be able to benefit from this, German speaking or not.
Firstly, Companies Need to Know You to Hire You
Life has changed drastically over the past few years. It’s like everyone is now pre-programmed to expect everything to be virtual. And while that meant cancelled conferences and events around us, it also meant that everyone now has access to virtual events and jobs anywhere in the world!
So now, many jobs do not get advertised anywhere. Companies hire people who catch their eye at events or people recommended to them by trusted professionals. So if you don’t actively put yourself where these hiring managers are…getting a job in UX is going to be a long soul-sucking journey with little gratification.
Helps with imposter syndrome
You got your first UX job and you’re feeling like a total fraud? yeah, you’re not alone. It’s called impostor syndrome and it’s completely normal. Having a strong network of professionals, online or offline, will be a great help to you if you reach out to them with your concerns. We’ve all been there and know what it’s like. We can help.
I know this for a fact. Many of my own mentees reached out to me with fears and concerns when they got into the field. You’re not alone, boos, you’re not alone❤️.
How to get networking
- Easiest way is through Linkedin. There is a strong community of designers in there to offer advice and feedback and also you can find out about all the physical and virtual seminars, conferences and classes that you can join to meet other designer.
- UX conferences or meetups are where real fruitful connections are made. They are usually attended by many people in the field who can really help you: You can meet people who are hiring, other designers like you or people with the knowledge to answer any question or discuss any design/research related topic you may be interested in.
Long Live Virtual Meetups…and morning/night sessions! Lots of them are free to attend. No travel, food or tickets costS whatsoever. And for people with little ones and responsibilities…morning/evening events are a total bliss. It’s almost hard not to join 😅
How to make the first connection
- Walk up & make small talk. At an event, look around during breaks and find someone who is alone or someone who has said something that really sparked your interest and just talk to them normally, not necessarily about business directly. Just normal small talk and it will naturally come to that later. Designers are good people. We don’t bite…normally 🙃😂.
- Sometimes, having a mentor can really make a difference and bring you closer to people you would really like to meet.
Recommended Books on Networking
Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi. I never read this book myself but it sounds great, it teaches you techniques to build relationships that make your life better, and everyone happy.
And those were my notes! honestly, do not miss this episode, it’s great. Have you got any good podcasts to recommend to me? please do :)
