How I left my job to pursue UX design
(Here we go again…)
Medium is likely teeming with articles about why and how people likely far more interesting and more talented than me left their jobs in [insert industry here] to become UX designers.
So why bother adding my story to the list? Well, I — like all other human beings — enjoy talking about myself. An added bonus is that perhaps some poor soul desperately looking to leave [insert industry here] will read my story and gather up a little bit more courage to finally take the frightening leap into financial and professional uncertainty.
Who the heck are you?
I went to the University of Toronto for French Studies and ended up finishing my undergraduate degree specializing in International Relations and Environmental Studies. I then decided I hadn’t had enough of school (read: was too terrified to enter the working world) and went back to UofT for a Master’s in Global Affairs (I know, what does that even mean?!).
I then began working for a few years with a municipal agency leading a program to improve our building stock nationwide. In between, I’d also done some consulting on topics related to innovation and digital literacy.
While the work felt quite fulfilling, it wasn’t enough. I felt that I wasn’t being used to my full potential. And when I looked at other options in the industry, I felt a sense of dread that I’d be doing the same thing just in a different office and, more importantly, indifference towards “the cause”.
And so, in early June, I enrolled in a full-time UX design program at RED Academy and handed my resignation to my supervisor.
But… how?
Rather than explaining why I did it, I’d like to explain how — my thought process here is that the why is oftentimes quite personal and contextual. How I made this life-altering decision should (theoretically) be more transferable. Of course, some of the why is mixed in with the how, so it’s not a true separation of the two. Nevertheless, I’m going to give it a go.
Disclaimer: this is not a how-to guide. This is an exposé into what enabled me to change careers. I am not saying that you should try to replicate how I did things.
How #1: Prioritizing lifestyle and feelings… and letting the rest sort itself out (with a lot of planning and support)
Despite coming from a traditional Asian family that prizes achievements and well-planned life goals, I always avoided targeting one single career or industry. Instead, my personal and professional goals revolved more around how I wanted to feel and what kinds of skills I wanted to use in whatever career I ended up in. While this continues to frustrate and worry my traditional Asian parents, it certainly helped ease my transition (read: jump) from teaching to language translation to international affairs to municipal climate advocacy to UX design. I’m OK with the vagueness of my future and, to be honest, cringe at the idea of being in any one company or industry for more than 5 years. Some people call it being wishy-washy; I call it seeking diversity.
How #2: Research, talk to people, and research some more
I was lucky enough to have been exposed to design thinking while in grad school, so I had a bit of a head start. But the entire process of making that fateful decision in June was a result of over a year of online research, attending free workshops and talks, and connecting with people in the industry. It’s not just research about the field but also — and probably more importantly — about figuring out whether the field will fit me and what I want/need.
How #3: Being a little bit rash
Clearly, I did a lot of research… and talking… and listening. But I reached a point — at about the 8 month mark — where thoughts of a career change began to take a back burner. I kept thinking, “I’ll try to get more information”. Only, I’d already exhausted all of the online research I could do and all of the industry people I could talk to. It was only in a moment of rashness (aided by a few drinks) that I made my decision: I told a good friend over drinks that I was going to leave my job and switch careers. Explaining my reasoning to her was what I needed to convince her and myself.
As I reflect on it now, I realize that I was waiting for some imaginary gradual and seamless transition out of my old life and into a new one; I would’ve kept waiting if I hadn’t taken a step before my brain could think about whether to take that step.
Things I didn’t do
I’d like to speak briefly about the things I didn’t do when making this decision because it’s just as important to note what I didn’t think would help me in this journey.
- Trying to find out how many job postings there are. Jobs are difficult to come by. Period. It doesn’t matter what field you’re in nowadays. I knew that if I was sure about UX synergizing with my personality and skills, I’d find a job.
- Take an online course in UX design. Finding out about different UX roles, how UXers fit into the bigger company/product development team, what is produced, etc. was way more important to me than getting a sampling of what I’d learn. For me, it was about understanding the big picture.
Wrapping it all up (I know I’ve spoken for far too long)
So where am I now in my UX career? Still in school with no concrete job prospects. I won’t lie, it’s a bit stress-inducing, especially for anyone who has grown used to receiving a regular pay cheque for the last few years.
That being said, I’m likely working 3x the hours and am 3x as happy. The fact that I’m even writing this article is proof of my belief that I’ve found the right space for me and my skills. Without doing those things I mentioned above, I wouldn’t be learning UX and honing my craft.
If any of this resonates with you even slightly, please feel free to reach out. I won’t make any decisions for you (cue: sigh of relief) but I have been told that I listen quite well.
