We Need More UX Mentors
Starting a career is pretty difficult. Maybe you spent four years in college and are entering the professional world. Maybe, like me, you decided at 34 to leave one career and begin a new one. Either way, you are beginning with a fresh slate, as far as your “experience” is concerned.
That is a funny word - “experience.” In my situation, having taught music for eleven years did not count as experience when applying for UX jobs. All of the skills I picked up along the way - presenting, sharing information, managing groups of people, interacting with administration and parents - none of that was deemed relevant. This was fair, to an extent, but I felt like I had more experience in the professional world than, say, a recent college grad.
The first design work I got came through volunteering. I applied to an unpaid position for a health organization that needed UX and Visual Designers to help re-design their website as they prepared to launch a new initiative. It seemed perfect - I got to work with developers and stakeholders to a degree I never could in a school setting. I got a whole new case study for my portfolio. I eventually got to see work I did go live for the first time, which is a really cool feeling!
I would encourage anyone who is beginning in UX but hears the words “not enough experience” to do the same. Bear in mind, I am not suggesting you do free work. In other words, if someone has a “company” and needs “design work” done but cannot “pay you money,” then run in the other direction. However, if a legitimate organization is looking for someone to work pro bono for a worthy cause, then seize the opportunity!
I think another element that is lacking is internal support from other UX designers. We need to mentor newbies who are just coming out. I really think that everyone in this industry who has broken through bears that responsibility. Offer critiques on a portfolio. Have conversations about the interviewing process, or mistakes made along the way. Let people know your story - how hard it was to break through, and how you finally did. Help them to make connections or offer advice about practices to avoid.
UX is very process-driven, and people love to show that they know the process. However, almost anyone who graduated from a boot camp or grad class can do this. New UX-ers need to learn how to tell a story. Why they did what they did, what the users told them, and where the data pointed them. What was your initial assumption? How did that change along the way? Did you validate or invalidate your ideas?
When I read student portfolios, this is often the piece that is missing, and what I try to stress in my conversations with them. This is a skill, just like writing a good persona or conducting a good interview - it needs to be taught and refined.
I think a real-world perspective is also missing from most student work. I know, this is obvious - they are often not real-world projects, and the logistics of a company are not a factor that students have to deal with. This is why they need to be told about it. Things like writing annotations for development, or doing content audits. How to navigate the politics of the workplace, or speak efficiently in a scrum meeting. You know, the stuff we deal with every day, but no one really taught us about it.
This is why mentors are so important. They can help to bridge these gaps. In the long run, it is better for our industry to help knowledgeable and talented people enter into it than to keep it closed off and elusive. UX is a growing, challenging, evolving, and rewarding field to be in - let us help those who want to join so we can continue to let it grow in the right direction.
As a teacher, one of the lessons I learned was that teaching someone a skill is a more advanced form of learning, which is why I would ask students who had mastered a skill to mentor or assist others who were struggling. This relationship often results in not only advancing the skills of the mentee but also prompting the mentor to reflect upon his/her own skills and method, which encourages growth and development. It is a win-win situation. Given the difficult barrier of entry that UX designers must face, our community should engage in these conversations and relationships as much as possible, either formally or casually. I encourage anyone who has been in a professional setting to find someone who could benefit from some guidance.