Reflections and advice from two apprentice UX researchers
Pinterest’s Apprenticeship Program launched in 2016 to create opportunities for candidates from nontraditional tech backgrounds and those who face barriers of entry into the tech industry to start their careers. Through on-the-job learning and collaboration with our world-class team, apprentices navigate challenges at Pinterest and develop the skills they need to drive their career growth and create impact within their respective fields. In 2021, Pinterest expanded its Engineering Apprenticeship Program to support the Products Org with roles across Product Management, UX Research and Product Design.
In this post, Aneesha Tucker and Cristal Reyes talk about their experiences as Apprentice UX Researchers. The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Aneesha Tucker: I’m an Apprentice UX Researcher with a focus on the Pinner side of the product. I’m from North Carolina. (Big shout out to the South!) I’m a full-spectrum doula, plant mom to 40 plants and counting, book and anime nerd and a budding chef.
Cristal Reyes: Like Aneesha, I’m an Apprentice UX Researcher, but I’m on the Monetization side. A little bit about me: I am a New Yorker, a Pisces, a foodie, yoga enthusiast, a not-so-great plant mom to two plants, a writer and a lover of all things yellow.
Let’s dive into your career path and background. What led you to the Apprenticeship Program?
Aneesha: My background is in social justice and academia. I worked for several nonprofits from different movements — from ending mass incarceration and police violence to reproductive justice — while studying Social Science at university. When it was time to graduate and figure out my career path, I had to ask myself not only what am I most passionate about, but how can I make an impact in a way that helps me grow continuously while also remaining personally sustainable. I really loved the social media and digital narrative-building aspect of my work. So I enrolled in a “break into tech” boot camp and found UX research. I thought it was the perfect way for me to continue thinking critically, creatively and compassionately about others and advocating for their needs while encouraging change and innovation.
Cristal: On my end, prior to being an Apprentice UX Researcher, I was actually a teacher. I taught one year of fifth grade and four years of U.S. History, with a focus on teaching from an anti-racist lens. And here’s the thing: I love teaching. I love being in front of a classroom. I love being able to have an impact on the lives of our youth, but at one point I stopped feeling challenged. So, I was looking for a new opportunity that would allow me to use the skills I gained as a teacher, like leading cross-functional projects, leading teams, responding to stakeholder needs — you name it. I knew that I wanted to pivot to a challenging career that would allow me to also interact with a lot of different types of people at an organization that also promoted positivity.
Aneesha: If anyone meets Cristal, please ask about teaching math.
Cristal: Please do. You will have a ball listening to my struggles.
What made you excited to work at Pinterest?
Aneesha: I chose Pinterest because it felt like a company that aligned most with my core values of community, love and curiosity. That was something I didn’t want to forfeit about how I show up in the world, especially at work. Each of my core values felt really represented in a mission like “inspiration” and I also valued how we center community at Pinterest, both in product and within the team. That felt really appealing to me. We all learn from each other and remain curious and build together. Also, I was very impressed by how Pinterest was at a very pivotal moment and becoming a leader in digital social change as a part of this narrative shift toward innovation and inclusivity, while also taking this stance focusing on the health of its users and creating the positive corner of the internet.
Cristal: As Aneesha mentioned, Pinterest is that one positive corner of the internet. As someone who cares deeply about teens and their internet usage, I wanted to work at a place that held itself accountable to those values as well.
How would you describe your first week as an apprentice in one word or phrase?
Aneesha: I would say “imposter syndrome,” but I want to add a caveat to this one. My week was welcoming. It was fun. It was exciting. It was like a dream come true. But I also want to normalize how it feels to balance all of those feelings of gratitude with the hard feelings that come with such an epic career transition.
I have a very nontraditional path into tech and coming into this program that I wanted to do well in, surrounded by people who are so brilliant — it took an overwhelming amount of tears, talking it out and throwing myself back in there whenever I thought “I don’t know if I can do this.” I had to remind myself that my best is always enough, I am also brilliant and add to the team. I want to normalize imposter syndrome because everyone feels imposter syndrome no matter their path. Especially when it’s early days in your career, remember you have this unique story and set of skills that are cultivated and created from your unique path. You add to the team.
Cristal: On my end, I will say that my first week was nerve-wracking, and here’s what I mean by that: Beyond a job as a hostess at Friendly’s when I was 16 and a few internships as a teen, teaching was all that I knew. I was beyond thrilled and grateful for the opportunity but the imposter syndrome started kicking in. I kept wondering, “will I be able to do this? Will I be able to learn? What if I really don’t belong here?” But, fortunately, the apprenticeship program managers, my manager, mentor and fellow researchers were all so supportive. Something that made me feel better were the chats I had with them and their transparency. These extremely talented and creative people that have been working here for years described that there are days where they also feel imposter syndrome and ask themselves the same things. They shared tips and bits of wisdom that made me realize that it’s normal to feel a bit of imposter syndrome and that, in the end, everything was going to be okay.
What does the day-to-day look like as an Apprentice UX Researcher?
Aneesha: I’ll start my day with a couple of hours of heads-down, focused time on any action items I have for my projects — things like planning, reading documents and creating test guides — before diving into meetings for the bulk of the day. And then I like to cap off my days with some heads-down time to either plan for the next day or wrap up any action items that might have come up in any of the day’s meetings.
Cristal: I start my day off with some self-care (yoga and journaling), which I find crucial, but then I start my work day off with heads-down time or focus time and that’s when I zero in on any tasks or action items I have for projects. Then, in the afternoon, I have meetings — it could be anything from a meeting with my mentor to cross-functional meetings to a research share-out. Then I love to end my day with some planning time. I love to organize my schedule and my calendar for the next day and prioritize those important items.
Failure allows us to learn and to grow and it’s all a part of the game. If you’re learning, you’re winning.
Which of the Pinterest core values do you align with the most?
Aneesha: “Win or learn.” Especially as an apprentice, your entire job is to learn. I am always jumping into things that might bring me fear and anxiety headfirst with the delirious optimism that at the end of the day we will learn whether we make a mistake and it completely implodes or we leave victorious in our pursuit. It’s given me something to back up my confidence and help me take those leaps. It gives me courage.
Cristal: My favorite value is also definitely “win or learn.” Not winning, or “failure,” isn’t always a negative, right? Failure allows us to learn and to grow and it’s all a part of the game. If you’re learning, you’re winning.
What’s something you wish you knew before entering the program?
Aneesha: So a piece of advice that I would give someone on their first day would be to take advantage of jamming or setting up a meeting to talk through blocks with other researchers. I was super nervous to do this at first because of imposter syndrome, but jumping in and setting up time with other researchers really accelerated my learning and allowed me to see how research is done from different perspectives. It really helped me build my research craft, confidence and critical thinking.
Cristal: I wish that I knew that to work well you must also rest. Right now I focus a lot on work/life balance and taking breaks when needed. But at the beginning of this apprenticeship, I was so wrapped up in all the interesting projects I was working on and learning the space that I actually forgot to make space for rest, which is — low-key — a teacher trait. But through conversations with my mentor, conversations with Aneesha, reflecting on my time and reflecting on my values, I’ve been able to prioritize that work/life balance a lot more and Pinterest is also very accommodating and encourages work/life balance and helping you achieve and maintain it.
Setting up time with other researchers really accelerated my learning and allowed me to see how research is done from different perspectives. It really helped me build my research craft, confidence and critical thinking.
What are some things you’re looking forward to in the next steps in your career?
Aneesha: I’m looking forward to taking inventory of what I’ve done so far and celebrating it. Last-September-me could not even imagine what the now-me is able to do and take lead on. I think even if she saw my Slack messages, her mind would be blown. But mostly, she would be really proud, so I will celebrate and pat myself on the back, first and foremost. But career-wise, I’m really looking forward to continuing to pursue UX research. The apprenticeship is so that you can see if this is something that fits into your life and whether you really love this new path you’re trying to go on — and I do. So I want to figure out how to continue marrying my passions for social justice even more closely with my work, either in craft or topic and continuing to grow in this field.
Cristal: I look forward to continuing to develop and expand skills I learned throughout the apprenticeship, which have been so many. I never thought that I would be a UX researcher. I can’t wait to continue to develop these research skills, hone my craft and to really continue to advocate for our users.
Aneesha: Yeah, two years ago, I didn’t even know UX research existed, let alone that I would be an apprentice at Pinterest. So, it’s gratitude only over here.
Cristal: Like you said, Aneesha, last-September-me would be absolutely floored.
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