Stories of UX
How I accidentally became a content designer
My personal journey into the world of UX
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
That was my least favorite question as a child. Still is, to be honest. While it seemed like everyone knew exactly what they wanted to be, I never had a consistent answer. I knew what I didn’t want to do, which eliminated a lot of career options, but could never figure out what exactly my dream career was.
The unknown
I loved animals, but when people suggested I become a veterinarian, I would explain I don’t do well with needles or injuries so anything in the medical field was not for me. I love to travel so people suggested I become a pilot to see the world, but unfortunately, my eyesight is well below where it needs to be to be a pilot and I just don’t love math.
This went on year after year. People would suggest careers for me and I would always have a reason I didn’t want to do that. I felt like I didn’t have any talents that could be used in a job. I can’t draw, am pretty sure I’m tone deaf, and mental math is not my strong suit. I just didn’t know what job uses those strengths.
While getting rid of options is helpful, I still couldn’t figure out what I did want to do.
The known
Although I didn’t know a lot, here is what I did know:
- I liked being around and working with people.
- I love learning and trying new things.
- I’m pretty empathetic, a problem solver, creative, and good at logistics.
My feeling of frustration of not having my life planned out only increased as I got older. I figured that during my first year at my university I would fall in love with one of my classes and I would just know what I wanted to do. So I spent my first year of school taking different general education classes. I felt like I studied anything and everything (I even took a class on the history of rock n’ roll), but the “ah-ha” moment never happened.
Study abroad
In my 2nd year of school, I felt the pressure to declare a major. The only problem was I had no idea what that would be, and I had run out of required general education classes to take. So, I decided to leave the country. I studied abroad in Sheffield, U.K. (I promise I have a reason for telling you this. I’m not just bringing up that I studied abroad). I figured having a different setting and surrounding myself with new people and experiences would help me discover what my passion is.
During my first week in England, I realized just how much words matter. Although I was in an English-speaking country, I felt so out of place. Little did I know that “You alright?” is a common greeting in England. It’s like saying “Hello” or “How are you?”. I was confused about how everyone knew by looking at me that I did not fit in. Turns out, nobody knew, nor did anyone actually want to know if I was upset.
Spending the next couple of months surrounded by international students from all over the world, language became more and more interesting to me. How people communicate, what resonates with people, and why people behave in certain ways were constant themes. I spent months traveling around Europe and loved learning about different cultures and communication techniques. It fascinated me that the same words can have different meanings in different places.
Back to school
When I came back to school in my 3rd year, I knew I wanted to study something to do with communication. I applied and was accepted into the Hussman School of Journalism and Media. I was hesitant because I hated writing growing up. I often struggled to write long essays because I felt I could get my point across in less than the page minimum and I hated writing fluff. What was the point? I also hated trying to make everything sound super academic. Why not explain things in a simple way? It’s easier to understand.
Despite my hesitation, I declared a degree in Public Relations and Advertising. It only took a couple of weeks for me to love it. One of my first public relations writing classes taught me quickly to not say more than I needed to. I loved the conciseness and structure of it. The more you say, the more people can criticize. My advertising classes allowed me to be creative and understand the psychology behind why people think and act in specific ways.
Applying for jobs
Graduation started approaching my senior year and that meant a career was needed. I still wasn’t exactly sure what that would look like for me, but I knew I wanted something that had to do with people.
Hoping for interview practice, I began applying to anything and everything. I went to an interview for an analyst position that I was not qualified for and probably wouldn’t have liked. Thankfully, the recruiter saw something in me and told me to apply for a writing position at that company instead. I ended up being offered and accepted that role.
So, I was becoming a copywriter. Or so I thought. On my first day on the job, I was told I was going to actually be a User Experience (UX) Writer. Awesome. What’s that?
Jumping into UX
I had never heard of UX, much less knew how to do my job. I jumped head-first into the quick-paced role and began learning as much as possible. I worked with some great designers, researchers, analysts, and project managers who taught me a ton. I read countless books and articles on UX, listened to conference videos, and took advice from anyone who was willing to give it. The more I learned about UX, the more I loved it.
Being a content designer
Content design checked a lot of boxes I wanted in a career: you collaborate with a lot of different people, there is a lot to learn, you can be creative, and you problem-solve. Turns out there was a job that fit what I needed, I just had no idea it existed.
I feel really lucky I found UX and content design. People reach out to me constantly and ask how I got into UX and look for tips for breaking into the field. Sadly, I don’t have a great answer for them. I didn’t find UX, it found me.
So, do I know what I want to be when I grow up? Not really. But I am loving what I do for now and am excited to see where the future takes me.
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