my career so far ~ from computer science grad to software developer to ux designer
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- Here's the story on my career so far - from computer science grad to software developer to ux designer. It was fun and kinda messy and it took like 8 years lol. I hope you enjoy this video!
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➯ / @charlicheung
// TIME STAMPS //
0:35 pre-uni (why i decided to go into computer science)
2:55 starting my computer science degree and the realization that i am not at all smart and i have no idea how to study which led to a six year long undergrad
7:10 graduating (finally...)
8:26 new grad. no job. many problems~
8:57 interviewing at this fish place
11:00 a slightly inaccurate translation of the metaphor my dad told me that changed my perspective on my career
11:50 interviewing at company #3 aka. my stallion
14:24 unlocking my one and only talent
15:50 starting my first job as a software developer♡
17:19 settling into a routine and feeling like i really reallly wanted to be a ux designer and i better start trying now
19:57 resigning and leaving the company I absolutely adore
21:42 being a ux designer (finally...)
23:43 thoughts for the future + a reflection of sorts
25:45 the only 2 things i hope you take away from this almost 30 minute video :)
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//Things I used in this video
Gaming Chair (not exact but very similar) ➯ amzn.to/3BTvrCL
Keyboard ➯ amzn.to/3je0B0m
LEUCHTTURM1917 - Medium A5 Dotted Hardcover Notebook (Port Red) ➯ amzn.to/3je0B0m
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Mouse ➯ amzn.to/2XpPqu2
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MUJI 0.38 Black Pens ➯ amzn.to/3aJShAW
// Equipment
Camera ➯ Canon EOS M100 (amzn.to/3BY7Z7K)
Microphone ➯ Blue Yeti (amzn.to/3n5MZW3)
Tripod ➯ amzn.to/30rhmP8
Lighting ➯ amzn.to/3AOMrsM
Editing ➯ Adobe Premiere Pro
// MUSIC //
Some Vintage Mood by BGM President ➯ / @bgmpresident
Chinese Sentimental Background Music for Videos & Presentations - Royalty Free ➯ • Chinese Sentimental Ba...
// FAQ //
Name ➯ Charli
Age ➯ 27
Location ➯ Canada
Nationality ➯ Hong Kong
Instagram ➯ @charlicheung
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Hello~ It's been over a year since I've posted this video and I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has shared their story in these comments❤️ I am so happy that this video has made you feel less alone in your journey :) My life has changed a bit since I uploaded this so if you are interested in seeing where I am now, check out this video where I explain my new job and new home ^^ czcams.com/video/LRv7FN6Magc/video.html
I'm watching this two years later but I just wanted to add to the "this is my story" train, and thank you for making this video.
It took me 5.5 years to finally graduate with a 2.7 GPA, I somehow convinced someone to give me a software engineer job, and now I'm having anxiety stress while I try to do my work. I've known for a long time now that I don't want to code. I will not be a great developer, and while I could become a good one, I don't want to be. I'm just now learning about UX design, but hearing your story and hearing how similar it is to mine has given me hope that I'm going to be okay, I just have to fight for the happy life that I want.
3am I cannot sleep and searching for videos about changing eng to ux roles, glad I found your video! I find I have so many in common with you. I didn’t graduate from a good college, and not a cs major. In order to get a job , I went to cs master program. I barely passes the exams and got the degree. Without any internships too. My first job was a 11 people small company and I worked as a full stack developer. after a few years I luckily passes the code tests and got my 2nd job in FAANG. I got paid really well and I can handle my work, but I don’t have passion about it. I don’t see myself to grow in this path. At age 33, I’m thinking about starting over as a interaction designer. Thank you for sharing your story. I cannot find friends who have similar experience and they just told me you are having a job that so many others are dreaming of. I feel lonely and worried about making wrong decisions.
I found this video a year later but wow, it's really nice to feel like you're not alone. I'm currently 3 years into a computer science degree. I'm 24 and still haven't graduated, even though I started my degree in 2015... I decided to take a break from school to figure out what I wanna do because I wasn't sure about becoming a programmer. That's when I found out about UX design and I found your video. I just want you to know that this video really helped me. I'm in a low point in my life and I feel like an absolute mess and a failure, some nights the future seems really bleak and scary. It's hard to stay motivated to keep working on building my life and my future. Your story is really inspiring since I can relate to a lot of it and I hope that I'll be able to organize my life and one day be in a better place. Thank you, I'm so grateful I found your video and I really hope you're doing well. I wish you the best!
Hey, How are you doing now?
@@humbledtolearned Hello :)
I actually just finished my last semester of university and i'm about to get my computer science degree. Things are still very uncertain but I figured out that I don't dislike programming as much as I thought I did. I actually enjoy web dev! So right now i'm looking into doing web dev or UX design. Life is definitely still very uncertain but I feel a lot more confident moving forward. My situation has improved a lot. Thanks for asking! Your comment brought me back to this video and made me reflect on the past year, reminding me how far i've come. I Hope you are doing well. :)
I’m glad to hear it! I am actually in the same boat as you (well your comment from last year).
I’m now 24 in my last year but I should have graduated already. I lost complete motivation in my degree (Theology) to be honest I don’t even remember why I chose the major. I wanted to take a break so many times just to figure things out, but I cared to much about what people think so I was dragging my feet all year, and I’m averaging B to C+ because I haven’t but any effort into what I’m doing. It was hard to find meaning in what I’m doing. The future also seems pretty scary. I feel so underprepared for life 😅 and I feel so down.
But I was reminded of the things that really make me happy, which brought me back to UX and this video. I enjoy designing, sketching, teaching myself to code, research, finding out what peoples needs are and finding creative solutions that are intuitive to others that are sustainable.
Now I’m taking the step and focus on finishing the degree to finish what I started so I can get into the habit of finishing, persevering, etc. all while remembering to do that things that make me happy everyday. I’m learning to set goals, being okay when things to go exactly as I plan, and being intentional in everything I do.
Thank you replying, it was good to know this situation is not unique to me and that people like yourself are still doing their thing even when uncertainties lies ahead. You’ve inspired me thank you.
Wow thank you got making this video! I’m going through the “choosing my path” thing now. I’m a junior computer science major, but I’ve always been more biased towards artsy and visual aesthetics. Front-end and UIUX has always been more appealing to me👀
hiiii~ i totally get that! :D with a compsci background, you'd be a great asset to any design team! Whatever you end up choosing, I hope you're able to be feel happy and fulfilled ^^ good luck and thanks for watching!
Hi Charli! I'm actually a CS senior major currently in a similar position with what you experience in college. I'm also switching back and forth with some imposter syndrome and regretting my major choices. Thanks to your UX videos I'm also largely considering transitioning into UX in the future but I want to try experiencing the software development field for money and some confidence reasons with my UX skills currently. Thank you for helping me gain a bit more confidence and reassurance in what I'm doing.
Hi Kristen! Thank you for watching and leaving such a thoughtful comment. I really feel for you as a senior graduating soon and I'm really happy that you found something in this video that resonated with you. Having that software development background makes the transition to ux so much easier, based on my personal experience lol Good luck and congrats on reaching the end of your CS degree!
I am currently a computer science student who is dealing with impostor syndrome at the moment, but over the past year my heart has been telling me that I would definitely enjoy doing UX design or even product management because I believe that I am more of a creative person than a technical person. This video just made me very hopeful that it’s never too late to try out something new.
// TIME STAMPS //
0:35 pre-uni (why i decided to go into computer science)
2:55 starting my computer science degree and the realization that i am not at all smart and i have no idea how to study which led to a six year long undergrad
7:10 graduating (finally...)
8:26 new grad. no job. many problems~
8:57 interviewing at this fish place
11:00 a slightly inaccurate translation of the metaphor my dad told me that changed my perspective on my career
11:50 interviewing at company #3 aka. my stallion
14:24 unlocking my one and only talent
15:50 starting my first job as a software developer♡
17:19 settling into a routine and feeling like i really reallly wanted to be a ux designer and i better start trying now
19:57 resigning and leaving the company I absolutely adore
21:42 being a ux designer (finally...)
23:43 thoughts for the future + a reflection of sorts
25:45 the only 2 things i hope you take away from this almost 30 minute video :)
Hi. I know I'm late to the party, but this is the most amazing video I've watched on CZcams. Your story has truly inspired me to not give up. People always try to judge others based off the "traditional" way of doing things: graduating in 4 years, having 1000 internships and much experience coming out of college, etc.. University has been extremely difficult for me and your story is much similar to mine. I have been thinking about if I'm going to do UX or Cybersecurity and your video has made the decision feel much lighter on me. Thank you so much for sharing your story.
Hello! Loved your video and I resonated with every bit of it. I'd never doubted that I'd pursue design up until high school, when I got into a HUGE fight with my parents, who threatened to cut me off and disown me ^_____^" so i ended going to CS route instead. I ended in the same predicament you mentioned, a senior engineer at the biggest tech company in SF, where there wasn't exactly a monetary (and thus, "logical") reason for me to leave and start from an entry level design role. Actually I dragged my feet for two years during the pandemic, because it was so hard to leave a job that seemed so perfect to everyone but myself amidst a global pandemic. When I gave my resignation to my manager I cried too! I felt like I failed my entire family, because I was the both the only child and first college grad in my family of immigrants. I wish you to know that I am super proud of all you've accomplished and being so honest and transparent. take care!
- Jenny
Hello from another fellow UX designer
I watch a lot of content from UX designer channel on here and I have to say your videos are the most down to earth and most relatable to me. Keep it up girl :)
Hi Nicci! Thank you so much for watching and your kind words^^
thanks for sharing your ux journey! I can totally relate to the experience of being envious of others who always seem to know what they want to do. Growing up, my answer always changed too and eventually it started to make me feel anxious whenever im asked about my future.
aww thanks for watching and sharing! Hopefully kids now have better resources for understanding what's really out there. I wonder if/when kids will say they want to be a ux designer when they grow up haha
Your career journey is very inspirational to me and very similar to my own. I also had a bachelor of Computer Engineering which was a lot of Computer Science studies, and which I decided I liked at the time but I knew that wasn’t the most right place for me because I struggled to naturally understand algorithms. After I graduated, I decided to pursue a Masters in Software Engineering because I felt that I needed to specialize in something related to my degree, but halfway through my Masters I realized that I was actually much more interested in Human-Computer Interaction and that I wanted to work as a UX Designer. Now I’m struggling to work on my Masters dissertation which deals with data structures and algorithms, but knowing that I want to become a UX Designer after I graduate gives me hope to finish the degree. It’s amazing to know that others feel the same way about their own journeys and that it’s okay to accept that Computer Science is not for everyone.
Wow I love listening to your story its so inspiring!! Its so interesting how so many UX designers started off with a tangent degree and then transitioned into UX! Similar to me as well. Ngl i almost cried when you mentioned how you resigned from your job you loved and you had a great manager AAA my heart
lol I seriously sobbed when I handed in my letter. My manager now is great too - it's amazing what you can do when you have just one person believing in you.
Thank you so much for watching❤️️❤️️
Thank you so much for making this video! I'm in my last year of highschool and I've been seriously struggling with imposter syndrome and a lot of self doubt about pursuing computer science since I'm a disaster at math and definitely not the smartest. I've honestly never met someone I related to so much... this gave me a huge confidence boost and motivation to push forward
I'm so happy this video was able to help you! Good luck in computer science - it's a great degree and I have absolutely 0 regrets ^^ Whatever you end up deciding to do, I hope it's what makes you happiest
I resonate with this video 100% and I feel everything you’re saying, I’m going through this exact thing right now😅. I feel as if I have more to say but I have not graduated yet and definitely jumped around the fact that I am not mentally strong in learning Computer Science. However, I’ll say that I’m glad that I was able to understand what I really want to do and that’s UX Design. It’s not a aha moment as being “finally”, but more so as something that I understand I am good at. Thanks a lot for this video and all the things you shared, cheers to more success/growth to you in the future and career.
this was such a great video! i feel for you when you were describing the "what ifs" that would've shaped your career differently, but if anything i think you're stronger because of it. your path may have been windier than you may have intended but i think you are wiser beyond your years and it shows! you have so much of your career left and im excited to see what you accomplish next :)
thank you as always, mira❤️️ you're too kind😭😭
Hi charlie, your story is really inspiring. You've been through a lot for what you are now. I hope you can be more successfull in the future
Hi Cindy, thanks for watching ^^ I wish you the same success!!
Wow, I was not even a minute into the video and you are already recounting my life story...Except I'm 23. I've oscillated between the decision of pursuing a career in tech or becoming a doctor. The thing that remained consistent is my goals and desires, it is only the career through which I do those things changes. I don't ever want to become stuck or feel trapped in a thing because I know that I like yourself, desire to be well rounded and constantly learning and growing and doing meaningful and impactful things with our passions. 😔 It's scary to tread a path that is not so carved out and without knowing what is on the other side, but that's also the beautiful thing about it. Taking the first step, in doing the things that make you happy against doing things that only make "sense". This video is only my favourite video on youtube hands down.
Coming across this video of yours has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I have struggled so much with my self esteem ever since university and have never been able to relate to someone as much as I did with you. (ngl I cried while watching this uwu) I'm currently in the middle of a (kind of?) dramatic transition from Architecture to UX/UI and i'm still struggling with coping with the the big change and dealing with how long and drawn out of a process it has been. Thank you so so much for sharing your story and for being such an inspiration to me and to anyone who has had similar experiences as you did. So glad you were able to meet the people you met and did the things you did that made you into who you are today Charli, god bless :))
Hi Taryn, thank you for leaving such a beautiful and kind comment. More than anything, I'm glad this video was able to resonate with you in some way.
The long, exhausting struggle of figuring out what you want to do and how you can get there is something that I can appreciate when looking back at my journey. But for you who is going through it in the present - I can't even begin to imagine how difficult that must be especially during these times.
I hope you succeed and find happiness in your work. I hope you stay safe and warm. And I hope that one day, when you get to where you want to be, you'll share your story and inspire others :)
this whole talk was what i wanted to hear today. indeed you are helping alot of people through your channel. loved your story❤
Yessss! RuneScape… brings back memories
Charli thank you so much for this video! I'm currently struggling in my CS classes and feeling not good/ smart enough to remain in the major, and honestly just full of doubt. I loved hearing about your journey, because it gives me hope and comfort.
I'm glad this video was able to do that for you, Valen :) thanks for watching and good luck with your CS classes! It's definitely not easy but it'll be worth it! You can do it!!
Thanks for sharing Charli! This is very inspiring as I'm transitioning from graphic design to UI/UX design!
thanks, Jessica! Best of luck!!
Great video Charli, really appreciate your honesty :) Your videos are helping a lot of us out there who are doing a career transition into UX, so just want you to know that we really appreciate all the effort and thought that you put into your videos, and for being so open about everything
aww thanks, haooyy! Thank you so much for watching and your very sweet comment ^^ I hope to make more videos that can help so please feel free to let me know if there are topics i should cover...or if something i say doesn't make sense haha
Thanks Charlie for this Video... I'm also starting out as UI UX Designer...
Pls do connect with me on LinkedIn
More power to you !!! It's like the same case with me, I recently got a Product Designer role at a Startup in my Final Year of my CS Engineering and tbh I got an offer in both Software Engineering and UX Design and choosing UX Design is really tough decision but it's not the age of settlement, Exploring different ventures is the best thing i have done in my college life...
This actually gives me a lot of hope because I feel like I'm in the same boat. I had no prior CS knowledge before college and struggle because the learning curve really is big. I'm working towards my CSE Degree but found out last summer that I want to get into HCI. I'm going to go into my 5th year next fall and I know for sure I'm not going to be a great software developer. I like the creative side of life. I've been looking into web development and I found UI/UX design. It looks like I'm going to really like it. I'm even thinking about getting a master's in HCI. Anyways, thanks for sharing your experience. It's really comforting and inspiring to know that I could still potentially get somewhere in life aha.
Thank you for sharing your journey! I am currently a new CS grad trying to land my first job w no intern experience and this gave me some much needed motivation at the moment.
Hey Andrew, congratulations on graduating from CS! ahhh...that really takes me back haha I'm sure something will come to you. The first job is always the hardest but I'm really wishing you the best of luck^^ You can do it!! Find that stallion lol~
@@charlicheung Thanks Charli, i'm gonna find that stallion asap !!
Wow this was so helpful and honest! I really feel you. THANKYOU for making this!
I was pressured by my parents since high school to pursue nursing which was not something I truly wanted. If I had known about UX design I would’ve done it. I wish my parents were more open about pursing other majors. Sadly I ended up graduating way later on in marketing at 26. Now I really wanna do UX design, I hope it’s not too late :(
hey Sammy :) thank you for being so vulnerable and leaving this comment. I'm so happy that you've found something you're passionate in.
Every one of our experiences impacts our perspective as a designer. And these experiences make us unique and creative beings! I'm sure one day you'll see that the road you took to become a ux designer was worth every moment because it created your unique perspective that will benefit each user that uses the systems you design.
I think it's never too late and 26 is still really young! I can't wait to see the amazing designs you create one day! Thanks for watching ^^
I went through something similar and am going into UX in my 30s. Lots of people do this later in life. I believe in you! Good luck.
This is so inspiring and heartwarming. Thank you for sharing! So proud of you😭❤️
thank you so much!
Thanks so much Charli, I can't imagine how brave you are to have this video. These are very private stuff which is very hard to put them in front of public. I am looking for job right now, almost same as you, no experince and no background. Right now, covid-19 even make it harder. But YOUR VIDEO REALLY ENLIGHTEN ME. It gives me lots of courage to face the problems directly. I should be more proactive.
Hi Xue, thanks for watching! I can't even begin to imagine how stressful it must be to graduate into a pandemic - I wish you and all other 2020 grads the best of luck! I'm glad you were able to take something away from this video. It's incredible what we're all capable of once we surround ourselves with the right people and prioritize our happiness ^^
Very impressive and interesting story! Very relatable! I’m changing my career to software development and I can understand many of the situations your described at the beginning. Thank you for sharing and I wish you all the best! You are already a great developer! 🙌🏻
Thank you so much for sharing your story Charli! you're so humble and humbling, sharing all of your stumbles with us (which i'd have a hard time admitting in such a humble and quiet way, i'd be so snarky and blaming my troubles on things beyond my control :') )
Thank you for sharing your career journey. Your video made me feel more confident about myself as I transition my career into UX :)
That's fantastic, Lakshmi! Good luck and thanks for watching!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS 😣
Hi Charli! Your story is truly inspiring and motivates me. I loved this video!! Hope you accomplish all your goals in life :) I am in a similar situation; a second-year CS student who doesn't like programming, is artsy and wants to pursue UX designing, kinda regretting my choice too. But your video gave me a lot of confidence and reassurance. Thank you soo much for sharing your story!
Hi Charli! I love this video, it's really inspiring! I'm also trying to transition from being a software developer to a UI/UX designer.
thanks for watching, Vivienne and good luck!!
seems like you are my duplicate or prolly I'm your Duplicate in alternate universe lol.. how much relatable your story is to me, OMG! it's extremely astonishing! thank you! though❤
Thanks for this Charli. I want to get into UX, and this video was very helpful and motivating.
you can do it! best of luck!!
This is incredibly inspiring. I'm the same. I haven't ever been able to pin-point just one thing that I wanted to do, but the video is inspiring in a way that it reminds me that life is fluid & things are always going to change whether or not you're pushing for it, and that's totally normal & changing careers or jobs is normal & not knowing what you want to do for the rest of your life is okay, regardless of your age. That said, I'm definitely going to start checking out my options. I'm very much so leaning towards tech. ^_^
I’m almost 17 and I think I want to be a UX designer. I’m trying to learn more about the craft and I am thinking of playing around with Figma
that's great! go for it :D
Crazy I found this video, I'm literally in the same place as you once were. Teaching taekwondo to kids, struggling through my cs degree literally being the imposter.
Thank you for sharing! This really helps and it also gives me hope! Good luck
Thanks for sharing ur journey... u inspire me alot.. been watching ur video all the time! More success to u..
Thank you, Cecilia ^^ you're so sweet❤️️
So inspiring. :-) Thank you for sharing your experience
Please make a video on UX Designers salaries...
noted! *canadian edition* haha
@@charlicheung Ya😅 Canadian + US
God I love this video thank you so much for sharing your story I couldn’t decide between software developer or UX design but I know I really would like UX design and shouldn’t do software developer just because it’s a higher salary 😅 I wanted to be a vet but know it’s not for me so I’m switching my life up
The addicted to RuneScape to software engineering pipeline 🤣💗
Love this!
This is highly relatable!!!!!
This is so inspiring. thank you
thank you so much, April!
Have you taken a personality test Charli? I know it shouldn't shoebox a person but maybe it would give you insights about yourself.
Also, great video!
HELLO Charlie! greetings from Chicago :) I wanted to know if you have any recommendations for an online UX/UI bootcamp, I'm a beginner and I my dream is to become a designer. Thank you for the great video, it really has inspired me to believe in myself a little more :)
hii Stephanie!! Unfortunately, I've never really looked at or tried a UX bootcamp so I don't think I can offer you an informed answer =\ Thank you so much for watching my video! It means a lot to me that you took the time to listen to my story and i'm really happy that you've found something in it that gave you some confidence
Hey Charli! I was wondering, how did you make your case studies for your portfolio? Did you have projects from your software developer job that you could use as case studies? Sorry if you mentioned this in this video or a different one!
I can’t believe I’m just seeing this video now. I’m currently a third year computer science who talks negatively about herself whenever it comes to coding. Just three months ago, I realised that what I actually want is UX/UI design and I’ve been studying it while completing my final year. I really want to get a job in UX/UI a few months after I graduate but do you think it’s possible with almost no experience in UX/UI and no background in design (aside from the com sci projects)? :(
Hi Charli, my name is Stephanie and I am currently transitioning from nursing to software engineering and the transition is so tough. Any tips or advice for getting into software engineering ?
Thank you for sharing ;)
thanks for watching!
My guess is you're an infj lol. Thank you for sharing your journey, super helpful!
🥰🥰🥳🥳🥳👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
No one understands GIT ... Except Kyle. Classic
6:50 very common in the asian community tbh it's sad
You sound so much like me I'm so sorry :D
Good, but tooooo long!