Transitioning into UX design: bootcamp vs. grad school and why I did both
For those contemplating a career change — there’s a lot to consider. I hope my story adds some perspective to your journey.
I had just resigned.
From a job that I was good at, to restart my career, at a bootcamp for UX.
Resigning was extremely uncharacteristic of me, as was leaving the stability and structure of my routine. The thoughts of self-doubt and future’s uncertainty would appear, be dismissed, and appear again countless times, and in numerous ways.
Did I make the right decision?
Now that there’s been some distance between my transition — I know, without a doubt, the answer is yes!—the kind you yell out with victory arms.
Warren Buffet said:
Ultimately, there’s one investment that supersedes all others: Invest in yourself. Nobody can take away what you’ve got in yourself, and everybody has potential they haven’t used yet.
I knew then, a few weeks into my bootcamp, that this was my path. As a psychology major in undergrad, I was captured by Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of ‘flow’.
Flow: a mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity
There were few occasions when I was “in the zone” and these periods came more frequently as I progressed further into design.
Design = Problem Solving
I took a big risk, leaving a management role at an organization that I helped build. Ultimately, I was unfulfilled and puzzled as to why my effort and ‘doing the right thing’ had no bearing on results. I was responsible for digital marketing and my drive wavered as this pattern developed. My day-to-day started looking cyclical and robotic, with little variation for innovation and creativity. I wasn’t seeing improved KPIs from campaigns and resource constraints hindered my ability to think out of the box.
How can I make an impact?
One day, amidst multiple, open browser tabs, I stumbled upon “user experience design”. It would crop up steadily on future web surfing sessions until I noticed the significance. There was something here, I thought, that kept bringing me back to any and all search queries relating to user experience.
From the scattered definitions and use cases of applied user experience design, I saw that it was a collection of skills I currently had, skills I wanted to learn, and the right recipe for an impactful, challenging career. Could this be how I can utilize my brain power and climb through Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, professionally?
In UX, constraints are welcomed with open arms, no longer a debilitating reality but repurposed to boost creative thinking. You’d use a design thinking framework to produce quick, actionable solutions. Collaborative teams adopted multiple tools and methods to validate and course correct decisions informed by data, research and testing. The demand for making the ‘right’ decision is second to a forward momentum, focused on a progression of consistent improvements. Most of all, you’re bringing consumer needs to the table, alongside stakeholder objectives.
It sounds perfect for me.
But I did nothing.
I dismissed the thought.
But it lay dormant in my mind.
It can’t really be like this on the job.
I’m not creative.
What if I run out of ideas? Out of solutions?
I don’t know how to use Adobe.
What am I thinking?
Am I going backwards?
Starting over? I’m not sure…
What if I fail?
High stakes.
Fear, risk and something totally new.
Every now and again, this self-initiated conversation ebbed and flowed, constantly dancing in my mind, teasing my inaction.
Until one day, I shared this thought aloud.
A friend and I were commuting through LA traffic. Our car entertainment was a see-saw of sighs, both of us wanting more purpose as we touched on and exchanged short stories about work life. The hour long traffic and the methodical stop-and-go extracted my deepest thoughts and I said:
I’m contemplating a career change…but it would require me to go back to school.
The tone of voice I used implied that it wasn’t going to happen.
But it did.
And very quickly.
And life happened in a way that was so true to my intuition, I knew it was my path to take.
Bootcamp
I was stretched, molded, and gradually adapted into a new identity.
- Process & Practice
My in-person, on-site bootcamp structured our weeks into projects. Each was progressively challenging and as new skills were learned, honed and integrated into the next segment. Each week was a countdown to remind ourselves of the journey, the goal, and the progress. Daily routines included stand-ups, structured brainstorming, many colorful post-its, whiteboard demos and scheduled deep work. Basically…tech startup meets school. Call it practice for the “tech” and “agile” environment you’d most likely be working in.
2. Hard Skills & Tools
We were exposed to tools for low to high fidelity designs, prototyping, research and project management. The introduction of each new tool was a blank canvas and I felt like I was using a mouse with my non-dominant hand — challenged and frustrated. As the weeks went by and the learning curve settled, tools became easier to use and I found a few to officially add to my collection.
3. Career Building & Networking
You’re learning at a very fast pace but the dream is a job in a new field. My program had weekly sessions focused on career building, which was insightful. Job hunting is hard, especially when you’re starting over. It requires different tactics to be competitive during the recruiting process. That’s the reality.
I put in the time and the hours — updating my bio, portfolio, rewriting my resume, getting feedback week after week. Small iterations done very often was key, just like a sprint. You’re also encouraged to meet professionals in the field at meetups and networking events. Design in a bootcamp is very different than design full-time, so networking adds color and fidelity to my career vision. The weekly cadence of “career time” helped me create a digital presence that I’m proud of and, fortunately, led to a job as a “UX Designer.”
What’s Next?
Imposter syndrome hits you really hard. The questions came quick —
How do I describe my role to my colleagues?
How do I advocate for design thinking? And demonstrate the value of design to stakeholders from the bottom up?
How do I push for research?
I pushed these challenges into my peripheral vision and focused on learning quickly. I was actually getting paid to design, full-time!
Didn’t I meet my goal?
Is this it?
It can’t be.
It didn’t feel like it.
My excitement was short-lived and desire for learning more left me unfulfilled. My sources (Google, YouTube, books, podcasts, and meetups) delivered mediocre results...again and again.
Where can I find high-quality, deep, foundational knowledge that will help me and my career goals?
They were all unlocked in a Masters of Human-Computer Interaction and Design program.
Grad School
We studied under the best minds in Computer Science, Human Behavior, and Human-Computer Interaction. They were the pioneers, transferring their knowledge so we can build the infrastructure of the modern age. I was surrounded by an amazing cohort, brimming with diverse knowledge and experiences.
- Design Conferences
I took advantage of my student status and found myself attending 3 User Experience & Design conferences. By participating in the conference’s slack channel, I found myself in an informal interview with two Design Managers at a Fortune 50 company.
One told me that he doesn’t consider candidates from bootcamp for designer roles on his team.
Why?
“Because they all look the same, they have the same projects and they’re not shipped.”
That was pivotal.
“How can I stand out?” I asked.
“Going back to school is a good move.”
Besides this gem, we had a great conversation about design systems, hiring, team structure, collaboration, vision and goals. I really appreciated his time and candor, sharing what happens behind-the-scenes of a product. Conference attendance helped build my self-awareness for my industry and areas of development.
This is how evolution works. We adapt to our environments. Thus, conscious evolution involves purposefully choosing or creating environments that mold us into the person we want to become.
— Benjamin P. Hardy
2. Exploring ‘the Gap’
What you learn in an academic setting is not what’s applied at work. I wanted to increase my marketability and stay competitive, while understanding this gap. Skills and qualifications are separate from a job. The job search is a whole new game, a new set of ever-evolving rules. This is anecdotal life experience and not something you learn in school.
This game included ambiguous rallies between recruiters and hiring managers, lulls in communication, intense on-sites along with enough design challenges and white boarding exercises to fill a portfolio on its own! (Though this practice has confidently fueled my ability to quickly pitch concepts at work). It was demanding, brutal, and extremely emotional to play, especially while balancing school commitments. But the theme in my life was learning, so it was the perfect time to explore — learn how to work, learn how to interview, learn how to better communicate design, learn what you gravitate toward in a role/company/product.
I‘m not only better at this process as a whole, but can filter opportunities with a better grasp of what I want. Ultimately, my bar is set higher and I scrutinize every touch point I have during recruitment — the application experience, clarity of communication, team structure, design leadership, value of design, future state vision along with the standard checklist that comes with every new gig. I’ve met with companies small, mid-sized and large, at different stages of growth, in different team structures (on site, distributed, or a mix of both) and in different regions all along the west coast.
Exploring roles facilitates my own personal discovery. I started really intent on building my skills in User Interface Design. But through reflection, I find that my ‘flow’ and curiosity is triggered most often through research and strategy. This insight was triangulated through grad school course work alongside job interviews. Each external conversation helped collect data points to curate what I consider to be most important for my career.
3. Career Impact
Mike Monteiro’s lecture highlighted design ethics and influence. He says:
Creation without responsibility creates destruction.
Designers turn ideas into something tangible and valuable by solving problems. We create “good” products, with the implied responsibility attached. Taking a stance and preventing “bad” products from shipping is also part of the deal. As such, we’re gatekeepers of the ‘new’ and hired for the expertise to solve what aligns with your personal values. The demand for these skills is even greater now as we move toward emerging technology.
Develop your design ethics and understand why — that’s my responsibility.
Reflection
Looking back on how I zigzagged into this field, I’m awestruck.
How did I navigate through it?
My ‘why’ was strong and I was spurred by a wholehearted goal, resulting in a personal renaissance. The pursuit triggers innate resilience and forces a mindset toward goal-oriented achievement.
I’m better at receiving feedback, understanding people, communicating in multiple modalities, and asking more thoughtful questions.
The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge. — Thomas Berger
Whether I stay in design or move on, my journey helped me become a better human. Life, really does begin at the end of your comfort zone — Neale Donald Walsch.
My success is the product and inspiration of those around me. Thank you to my human forms of liquid courage, for helping me thrive :)
To my MHCID family, thank you for setting the bar high.
Read more about my adventures at work.
Career transitioners: If this was helpful and you have some questions about my experience, I’ll be happy to chat :)
