Becoming a UX researcher. From psychology to tech - my journey.
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
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Aspiring researchers especially those who transition from academia ask me how I made it into tech and UX research specifically.
I understand this desire deeply! Academia had been such a safe space for me for years, it was clear what to do, what the next step would be and how to get there. With time I started feeling that I stopped being curious and intentional about designing my career and relied too much on this bubble of academia. I had been in my comfort zone for too long, I wanted to be courageous and curious again, so I decided to look around for opportunities in the "real" world.
When I started looking around for jobs outside of academia, I found it so hard to envision my career several steps forward. Tbh, I found it hard to envision even the next step. I wasn't sure whether I would like working in the industry, whether it would fit my values? Would I be able to pursue interesting topics? Would it all be just about money, money and money?
And even if I found some really cool positions, how to you get your foot in the door? How do you convince hiring managers to give you a chance? You have not industry experience, but you might have relevant skills, yet you might not know how to present them and how to speak "business" language. I've been there...
In 2016 I quit academia, applied to many jobs in the industry, landed my first tech position and with many ups and downs I made it to a Senior UX research position in 2021.
This is just my path, but it's a real life example that is so hard to find information about, I hope it will be helpful to you and that you can start envisioning your own path.
Book a 1:1 with me: superpeer.com/valuxr
- help planning your career trajectory and how to get there
- specific questions
- feedback on your resume or portfolio
- interview practice run
Thank you for making videos. As a psychology graduate UX researcher, I am always interested to see more social science graduates expand their capabilities in this field.
Thank you for making this video! This was extremely helpful as a Ph.D. candidate in the social sciences looking at how to make the jump to UXR.
thankyouu soo muchh ..plss make more videos on this topic.. i am in my final year and looking in the field of UX researcher :)
As a cognitive science grad student looking to pivot to UX this video was so helpful! I know cogsci is tightly related to UX but coming from a more experimental psycholinguistics background, I kind of struggled to find the links between the two worlds myself. I think I have a better view of that now. Thank you!
Thank you! Really glad to hear you found it helpful :) good luck with your transition
hi i have a neuroscience degree (2023)and i feel the same way!!
Thankyu for this video
Thank you for making this video. It was lovely. I find myself currently quite similar to your position at your beginners times. I have a psychology degree at both bachelor and master's levels. I even still think to apply for PhD programs. However, i m also exploring job opportunities where i can utilize my research skills. When I searched the job market, I saw many companies required an expertise in quantitative methods for UX researcher. What I want to ask is if I need to enroll a paid online course to prove my expertise in research skills used by UX researchers ? Or can I just improve myself by taking advantage of free resources such as watching online videos and reading books ? Is the second option a viable one to get a job offering?
Taking online courses in UX research or other UX topics is not a requirement, especially if they are expensive and after being a student it can be quite a lot to spend. Even if you do take such a course it is no guarantee it will be a factor in whether you get a job as a UXR or now. However, these courses can be helpful in learning how research is applied in UX and they can be a way to show recruiters and hiring manager that you are serious about UXR and investing into learning about it. I would say of money and the extra time is no issue, why not... Otherwise you can learn a lot from free resources as well. The best is to try it out by doing some mock projects, internships, freelance work... Any kind of hands on experience always trump's any kind of course in my experience:) if you are wondering whether to do a PhD or go straight into UXR, i have a video on that topic you might find useful, hopefully:)
Good luck!
@@valaz Thank you so much for your answer, it's been very helpful :). I wish you all the best..
May I ask in which country currently work? Because im from germany and the hiring Process and job market here seems to be different.
So I currently work in the UK, but my first job was in Germany. In what way do you think it's different in Germany?
Hi Val! Love your content! 🤩🤩 I am myself in this UX Research field and been looking to see what you could recommend in terms of the laptop. As a UX Designer I wonder if you would recommend to have a 14inch or 16inch laptop to work on when doing a daily tasks, such as conducting or analysing the research? 🌻
Hi Indre! I've been able to work with a 14 inc laptop for years, I prefer mobility. For a couple years now i've had a large DELL monitor, which for me is the perfect combination. I do use the large screen a lot for Miro boards etc, but it's all doable with a small screen as well.
@@valaz Thanks a lot for your reply and insights! Much appreciated
Hi Val. I just came across your channel and i find your content very helpful. I'm a psychology graduate as well and i'm trying to get into UX Research. I just wanted to know if you took any UXR courses or bootcamps, if so which ones? Thanks
Hi! Thanks for watching my content, I'm glad you find it useful 🙂 so I personally haven't done any Bootcamps or courses, that's mostly because I have transitioned into UX research on the job. I started as a product analyst and as part of this position over time became more involved with product thinking and user research. So when I went to apply for UX research jobs I already had a portfolio of work to show for it. So in terms of credibility, work experience says more than a course. in absence of experience it won't hurt to do a course, might help you build a couple of case studies and understand processes in a product life cycle. I think it really depends on the course and it's focus though, I do find that you learn all the necessary research skills in a psychology or another research focused degree, so it's more about getting an insight into how these can be applied, learning industry specific language etc. And the last caveat is: I'm saying it won't hurt if it's a free or inexpensive course, of course if considerable cost is involved then it's up to you to do your research about whether you will get what you need out of it and do financial planning accordingly. I'm the last person who would tell people they have to to pay for some online certificate when so much knowledge is available freely.
Thank you so much Val. You have no idea how helpful this is. @@valaz
Thank you very much for sharing this wonderful video. Can I move to UX research from instructional designer ? Please let me know.
Hey, I do know that designers move to uxr, usually from UX or product design. What exactly do instructional designer do? I would generally say you can move into uxr from any field if you have the skills to do the job.
@@valaz Instructional designers create content and design and develop training courses for learners. Therefore they are responsible for developing and delivering effective e learning courses. An ID should be able to create relevant content and design better learning experience with the help of Learning psychology. They use authorings tools like storyline, captivate etc.
@@mketkee that sounds very interesting! Usually for uxr positions, the main requirement is for you to know different research methods and know when and how to apply them. You should be able to show evidence of that in your application materials and interview, no matter which field you are transitioning from. Best of luck!
@@valaz Okay ! I understood. Thanks very much. Keep up the good work 👍😇
you do not need a psychology degree to be a UX researcher and it drives me nuts!
I wouldn't say that actually. I think what's essential is having a good understanding of research methods and the ability to apply them. Psychology is simply the degree that provides one of the strongest foundations in both quantitative and qualitative methods, but it is not the only way to acquire those skills. I think the biggest problem is that many employers rely on a psych degree too much as an indicator of relevant skills... They mostly do so when they are not knowledgeable enough themselves and can't come up with a good technical task to test relevant skills. There are positions that don't require a psychology degree or any kind of an academic degree and focus on your actual skillset.