Embark on your UX writing journey: Unlocking job levels and growth paths
From Novice to Expert: titles, soft and technical skills, and checklists for professional growth in UX & content design
TL;DR
— The Competency Map for UXW includes titles, soft and hard skills, and checklists.
— Download it from Google Docs by choosing File >>> Make a copy >>> Done.
— The Competency Map has an open license CC BY-SA 4.0, which means that you can use and adapt it for your team and processes.
Hi! I am Ira Motorina, UXW Lead at tutu, online travel planning service with 50+ millions users per month.
My team consists of UX Writers and Content Specialists, who are responsible for the user experience and work closely with the Design, Marketing, and Product Teams. Our main expertise is communication inside and outside the product. For example, we write user interface copy, guidelines, release notes, and more.
As a Team Lead, I hire UX Writers and help create development plans for team members, conduct reviews, and, of course, support their growth.
To make the professional development of UX Writers predictable and transparent, I have created the Competency Map. I want to share it with you and explain how to use it.
Why Is The Competency Map Necessary
There are numerous competency maps on the market for Designers, UX Researchers, and Software Developers that facilitate growth planning for both skills and compensation.
But there are not that many options for UX Writers. As a result, Junior UX Writers of the companies where I worked as a UXW Lead were frustrated. They did not understand how and in which direction they could grow within the organization and in the profession.
Of course, you lose motivation and excitement if you do not see a clear career path.
Also, the promotions of colleagues end up being a mystery. What did they do that I did not to become a Senior UX Writer?
The Competency Map solves these problems while making life easier for the manager. When I, as a manager, need to hire a Senior UX Writer, I know what skills to look for in the candidates since they are already listed in the map.
So, I decided to fix the issue myself, creating the Competency Map and making it available to everyone.
If you have UX Writers, Content Designers, Localization Specialists, and Technical Writers in your team, feel free to incorporate the Map. I hope you find it useful!
What Is Inside
The Competency Map includes titles, competencies, and checklists.
Titles are levels like Intern, Middle, or Team Lead. Competencies are skills like writing texts. Checklists are the tasks and projects that need to be completed to move to the next level.
How To Read The Competency Map
There are three blocks: Key Skills, Soft Skills, and Hard Skills. Key Skills show how UX Writers approach and complete tasks. Soft Skills demonstrate how they can negotiate, communicate, and prove their point, while Hard Skills show software and methodology proficiency.
Some competencies are marked as *optional, which means that UX Writers do not need them to move to the next level. However, if these skills are necessary for growth within the organization or for individual professional development, they can still be pursued.
In addition to the new skills, each higher level includes the skills from the previous level.
How To Get Promoted To The Next Level
There are two options, the first to fully cover all required competencies and the second to cover only a certain percentage. The Team Lead decides which path to take.
Each skill has a checklist. Once completed, the skill can be considered accomplished.
What Else Is Important
This work has an open license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0) International License, which means that you can use and adapt it for your team.
Want more? Take a look at this excellent article on Competence Maps and UX Skills — a captivating and straightforward piece by Torresburriel Studio.
