From Media Planner to UX Designer

After feeling unfulfilled working in the advertising industry, Kailyn decided to explore UX design as a career path. She enrolled in Bloc’s Designer Track to make her career transition while keeping her full-time job.

Tell me: what were you doing before Bloc?
I was as a media planner at an advertising agency.

Why did you end up taking Bloc?
I had been working in the advertising industry for around 4–5 years, and I was starting to feel stagnant. I was feeling unfulfilled working in media. Having some experience in print and graphic design from high school, I decided to explore UX design as a new career.

After researching the different schools in Austin (both in-person and online), I ultimately picked Bloc over others because it allowed me to take the course part-time while keeping my full-time job. I also appreciated that the program covered intro to frontend programming.

How did taking Bloc change your life?
Bloc has not only helped me change my career but it gave me a supportive community of fellow designers and programmers to network with. I think that’s what makes Bloc so special — even though it’s an online school, you never feel alone because you have a big support system that’s always ready to help you with anything. My favorite part of the curriculum was attending design critique sessions because they were super helpful!

What advice would you give to other Bloc students that are currently looking for a job?
I would say keep going at it! The first few rejections will hurt, but it’s important to look forward and not back. If an opportunity doesn’t work out, then it wasn’t a good fit. The right role and company will come around, just be patient and keep applying!

Which project (portfolio, capstone, etc.) are you most proud of?
http://kailynlim.com/