“Why UX research?”
A career changer’s pitch to would-be employers
A potential employer asked me last week in a job interview for a UX researcher role, “Why UX research?”
I was kicking myself for not having answered this already. I had just given an hour-long presentation on my background and UXR case studies, selling my unconventional work experience as my greatest asset. Reflecting on the interview later that day, I realized my mistake: I had failed to articulate my “why”.
As a career changer, you may have less UX-specific work experience, so it’s crucial to have a succinct pitch that articulates not only your qualifications but your motivations. I just sat down to write mine, and here’s what I did.
- I set about mapping the overlap between the roles of a UX researcher and a classroom teacher. For this, I consulted job descriptions on LinkedIn, including the actual job descriptions for roles I had applied for. I focused on my strengths and where I felt most passionate about the work.
There is tremendous alignment between the role of a teacher and that of a user researcher. In both fields, you must:
- identify and meet the differentiated needs of users,
- adopt a data-driven approach,
- develop strong relationships with stakeholders,
- evangelize the value of your work, and
- thrive in a fast-paced and dynamic team environment.
2. Then I focused on telling a story. My goal was to describe a journey to UXR that is both personal and professional, connecting the dots between my past and present lives and revealing my motivation.
After reflection, here’s my pitch:
When I found UX, I thought I was home. I had found a field that incorporated the creative and critical thinking skills I had developed over a ten-year career in education and social science research. But I realized I was less inclined towards the visual design aspects in later stage product design. When I discovered UX research, I found an opportunity to focus on my favorite part of the process, and the one most aligned with my passions and experience, asking and answering the questions that drive product design. More than that, I saw the opportunity to apply my passion as an educator to the mission-driven approach necessary to build a UX culture: evangelism of UX research and continuous engagement with diverse stakeholders.”
I don’t know if I’ll get the job (I’m still waiting with fingers crossed), but I know that my story is ready to share the next time an unconventional company is ready to take a chance on an unconventionally qualified career-changing user researcher.
What’s your pitch? Please share in the comments! Thanks for reading. :)
