How I transitioned from being an Engineer to UX designer

Vishal Thakur
Bootcamp
Published in
3 min readJan 14, 2024

I’m an Engineer turned Designer, having completed my Computer Engineering at TSEC, Mumbai. I had been involved in coding and website development for a very long time.

I got placed in Capgemini and started in a Production Support role. Although the role wasn’t as exciting as I hoped, the only positive was that it allowed me to work from home, giving me the freedom to explore new possibilities.

An illustration of a young man not happy with his career.

After working in my job for 1.5 years, I wanted to explore front-end development roles since I have an interest in coding and regularly worked on personal projects. However, I faced numerous rejections, and then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, making it nearly impossible to switch jobs.

Being stuck at home due to lockdown gave me some free time to reconsider my career choices, and I started exploring various options online.

During that period, I came across Ran Segall’s video showcasing the ease of designing a website in Webflow without coding. Curious, I started learning Webflow and creating websites, finding a new love for design.

An illustration of a young man learning Web Design.

As I was learning Webflow, I discovered that I’m better at creating designs from scratch than working on things that others have already designed. This guided me towards a field where the main task is to think and design — UX Design. I did a lot of research about this field.

Around the same time, Google launched a UX Design Course, I enrolled for it, completed all assignments, and created my portfolio. If someone is very new to UX Design, I would definitely recommend that course.

I was among the Top 50 participants in India who completed the course, which led to a free portfolio review session with a Google Designer — Cheriana Griggs. The review helped me in tailoring my portfolio to showcase what hiring managers are actually looking for.

Google UX Designer Completion Certificate
Google UX Designer Completion Certificate

After completing my portfolio, I began applying for UX Design roles, but due to my limited industry experience, I faced repeated rejections.

Not discouraged by rejections, I changed my focus and applied for a job within Capgemini. I got the chance to work with a famous brand — IKEA. It was the best opportunity to learn and show my skills.

This experience build my confidence and I resumed applying for design roles externally, resulting in multiple offers, including two from Reliance Jio and Human Factors International (HFI). I chose HFI for its brand status in the design industry and most importantly, flexibility to work remotely.

An illustration of a happy young man checking his job offer.

Currently, I work with HFI on projects for the client Dell. Over the past 1.5 years, my journey as a designer has been a continuous learning experience. Each day brings new insights and challenges, contributing to my growth in the field of design.

I feel grateful as I think about the chances that guided my journey. I’m really happy to be a part of the exciting UX Design field, understanding the many possibilities it has.

While transitioning to a new field is undoubtedly challenging, my advice is simple: If you really like doing something, you’ll figure out a way to do what you really love.

I’m thrilled about the ongoing journey, committed to continuous learning, and eager to contribute to the world of design.

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In case you are looking to transition to UX Design, I have created a free user guide. You can download it here.

https://vishalthakur.gumroad.com/l/qhizip

If you have any questions about transitioning to UX Design, feel free to schedule a FREE CALL with me on Topmate. I would be happy to help. :)

You can schedule a call here.

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Bootcamp
Bootcamp

Published in Bootcamp

From idea to product, one lesson at a time. Bootcamp is a collection of resources and opinion pieces about UX, UI, and Product. To submit your story: https://tinyurl.com/bootspub1