No document, certificate, diploma is not an excuse to get a job in the field of design like #ux #ui #productdesign or #uxresearch. The picture of the labour market is changing not only in terms of the number of jobs, but also in terms of requirements and skills. More and more people decide to start a new profession, disguising themselves and acquiring new competencies.
The phrase “lifelong learning” is not just words. This is our reality at the current pace. This is no longer a “sprint” where we reached the finish line and we can forget. This is a “marathon” that has its better, faster kilometers and those that pass the proverbial “pit” and can have worse surfaces.
With only variables in the market, our approach can also change when it comes to the disguise approach. It is time not only to design products and services, but also our own career, because a lot depends on ourselves. And from our choices.
1. Competency Audit
It's time to talk about it more loudly, that is, the competency audit. We come from different backgrounds, we have experience in different areas. This is not the time when most people graduate and start their first job. This is the moment when we already have 5,10,15,20 years of experience in various areas. Let's think about what skills we already have and what we lack. It is important to find the “gap”, that is, the things that separate us from the set goal. To do this, we need to know what we already have and what we are starting with. We can do it ourselves, but it will always be more effective to have another person to collaborate, who will look from a different perspective, experience, but also ask questions that can lead us to interesting unconscious places.
We often do not realize what we have when we have been doing in a given area for 15 years.
2. Training, bootcamp, course or mentoring?
We have a full range of choices on the market. In order to make a decision, we need to think about what we need and what we need. Not just based on good marketing and the number of hours in the program. What is important - it is worth considering what we want to achieve. If we want to join one of the listed options, does someone analyze the current competencies with us and adjust the program so that it fits your predisposition and what you already know and do not know?
It is not worth looking at the number of hours. It is important to understand your own situation, what you can afford and who is leading the meeting. In order for us to develop properly, we need a safe space and feedback that verifies at every stage whether the next step we have taken is in the right direction.
3. Fear, fatigue, wave, or emotions on the way to the top
You know that? You don't know if you're doing the right thing, you're not sure if it makes sense and you're already tired. The work has not started yet and you already feel that it is finishing you? Change is not knowledge itself, but the process of how you gain experience. Each of us (everyone!) feels different emotions when disguised. Most of the time, we are afraid of what we do not know. It is difficult for a new person in the industry to fully understand the area they are entering, with an estimate of the time and topics they should be familiar with. Learning is a process where support is invaluable. A support person, a partner, a mentor can motivate us, but also stimulate us to further action. It allows us to understand the industry, mistakes and mistakes.
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.” - MCS
4. I will finish the training and the “gates” of opportunity will open
We often hear in Design Mentorship that “I thought that when I finished... I would change my clothes. After all, I only spent money and spent so much time on it. I'm alone with this now. No one will give us a guarantee of success and getting a job. Only good preparation and a little “luck” are needed here. A network of contacts can also work wonders, but let's remember that quality must go behind it.
5. The space to talk about mistakes
In one of our episodes with Szymon Kordylewicz, owner of a branding company Thesign we talked about his path from being a designer to running his own business. Simon has gone through a long journey full of education in various forms: training, university, mentoring depending on the stage he was in and his needs. He stressed that thanks to mentoring he was able to look into the real life and business of the Mentors. It was also a time when he and his Mentors could talk about mistakes that we don't mention so often. It is important to see in experienced people, people who also face similar problems, stress, who already have their own ways of dealing with it.
6. The most important thing on the way is...
Despite the fast pace of technology, new features in Figma, Szymon stressed in the podcast that knowledge is very important on the road, but consistency and discipline. It's easy to talk about, hard to realize, because there are days when we don't want to. However, it also teaches us to put ourselves in the things that are important to us, even in the most difficult moments.
If you are thinking about changing your job, position or expanding your competence, you can answer a few questions:
Does anyone before the start analyze what I already have in me - my predisposition and competence?
After I finish... do I actually have job guarantees?
Do I have a safe space to talk about mistakes?
Do I have feedback at every stage of development?
What should I do if I don't feel motivated?
On the path I have chosen, do I have people who support me?
Is the process I have chosen adapted to my needs and situation?
We encourage you to listen to the conversation with Simon:
