Consider This Before Spending Money on an Online Course!
You may want to do your research!
I was sick of my job! Applying to different jobs wasn’t working. I needed to make an opportunity for myself because the traditional route wasn’t happening for me. I would quit my job (when I barely had the means to do it) to take a UX Design Course and start a completely new career path. I thought I needed to course to break into the industry.
Before you quit your job or even start any type of course to develop a skill, consider the following. This could potentially be beneficial for any type of course you plan to take:
Find people that have done the course?
Search LinkedIn for those that have finished the course. Consider finding those that are actually doing a UX position and even those that are not. You may find it more valuable than the “reviews” you find from the online course you’re looking at. The course’s website only highlights their success stories so ensure you are getting the right information. Like any good business, they don’t want the negative reviews or those that didn’t succeed to their standards to be the face on their site.
Ask people who are in the field
I did this in my final months of the course and realized quickly it would be a tough barrier to entry to be a junior UX designer. Those that messaged me back, via LinkedIn, all responded similarly: networking events and groups, they already worked in a company that had a UX design team and they laterally changed positions, and others just fell into the position. In addition to not having been in a company that already had UX design, not having experience, and not living in a city that offered networking events for tech — it would be a long road ahead.
Be precise and blunt when asking if it would be beneficial to do an online course or how they would go about getting into the industry. You’ll be surprised at the responses.
Can you learn without doing the course
Immerse yourself in resources and take the advice from those you reached out to. It may surprise you the amount of free information you can find on the internet. It will take hard work and time, just like the course. My approach was school, learn, graduate, then a job — a typical approach. Think outside the box. Are there cheaper courses? YouTube specialists? Yes, this may cost you time and effort but it’s better than spending hundreds to thousands of dollars for you to look back wondering what you learned!
Use the time you spend on your phone wisely. Dive into the rabbit hole and consume all the tips and knowledge you can. You can find the resources to catalyst you forward. If all signs point to taking that course you’ve been eyeing then that’s what you’re meant to do. But, do your research first.
Still want to do the course? Work side projects
At least for UX design, many people told me to build up my portfolio but I truly did not understand what that meant. Didn’t I need to have a job or someone to check my work to make sure I was doing the right things? No. I advise looking at many different portfolios. Typically UX designers have a place within their profile on LinkedIn. See what they are doing and working on.
You could start by redesigning an existing website or app. Explain all the reasons as to why you changed what you did. Do a complete case study. I didn’t fully grasp how to utilize my time and instead only worked on the course project, which I was not happy with the outcome and should have redone it and explained why I did what I did.
Save everything you do
Although I said I should have redone my course work, what I mean is use it as your starting point but keep the original. If you decide to redo a past project then keep its original form, this will allow companies to see how far you’ve come. Being self-taught and seeing your progression is an amazing accomplishment. Don’t undervalue your abilities.
Apply, Apply, Apply
You may have heard this before but it’s a numbers game. Apply to everything within the realm of what you are looking for. Keep in mind, your position you are seeking may have different types of titles. Therefore, once you learn the other titles you’re able to broaden your search.
In addition, read the job descriptions of any position you apply for thoroughly. Some positions, regardless of area, may not match the title. I once saw a UX Design position for a retail store in my area. Yay, an actual UX job. Fully reading the description more so described a cashier position. Amazing how you can manipulate a title to make it greater than it is.
Go where the action is
You may need to move or commute to a city that caters to your industry. I created this expectation that I would be able to work remote right away due to my location. You may be able to but my reality being so green to the industry, I should have expected to go in and learn directly from experienced designers.
The reason I was seeking remote is that I live in a city hours away from Los Angeles that doesn’t value the new tech world. Very few companies in my area had UX designers in their company. The few UX positions available seemed to be more along the lines of a marketing position for the company. I wanted real UX, I wanted to have a specialized position rather than the all encompassing marketer as I did in the past.
Is it impossible to find remote entry level positions for UX? No, but at the time I applied to any remote position on a number of platforms without luck. I recommend if you’re starting out to understand your area’s capabilities and find remote sites that cater to your needs. Many people recommended job sites for remote work but I found that some catered to coding or other tech specialties rather than what I was looking for.
Readjust
My plan didn’t happen accordingly. I finished my course without a job. After months of applying half-heartedly I became bitter and full of regret. However, looking back it was part of my journey. I won’t rule out doing UX as a career but it doesn’t seem likely with my lack of dedication and drive!
Looking back, it got me to where I’m at. Allowed me to try something new, develop a new skill, and took me away from the most toxic job I’ve ever had (hence the reason for quitting). I continue to seek opportunities according to my goals and hope to find my path. If you’re in the same boat remember you’re where you’re at for a reason. You’ll get there.
Takeaway
Research before diving into an online course for a skill. They are quite expensive but you must decide if it’s a good fit for you.
You’ll do great at whatever you decide!
