How I became a UX designer

If you ask every designer how they found work, no two journeys would be the same. Some designers would have taken the traditional route. They would have found work after their studies. Others skipped education altogether. Some decided to switch to a completely different career.

In this article, I want to share my story about how I managed to find work as a UX designer. I discuss the highs and lows. I offer advice. I inspire you to believe that anyone can find work as a designer if they work hard.

Taking the non-traditional route

My older brother studied graphic design. He found work right after. So, I thought I would follow in his footsteps. I went to the same university as he did. I studied the same course and got a BA (Hons) in Graphic and Media Design.

Yet, when it came to finding work after graduation, this was where our paths diverged.

I'm showing my age, but during my graduation period, YouTube was in its early stages. Creators were making a name for themselves on the platform. But it wasn't as saturated with content as it is now.

Around this time, a friend and I watched a lot of YouTube. We also experimented with making our own videos. We saw the possibilities. After a brief chat, we decided to build something for ourselves on YouTube.

We didn't want to be on camera. So, we realised we could still build a brand by being behind it. That's when we thought of an online platform for unsigned musicians to showcase their talent.

Building out our portfolio

Since nobody knew anything about our venture, we knew that we had to build everything from the ground up. We had to create a portfolio of videos showcasing artists in their best light.

Keep in mind that neither of us knew much about cameras, lights, or editing a video. We faked it until we made it. My friend contacted artists to ask if we could record them. I borrowed a camera from my dad and learned about shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Since we were recording artists, I had to figure out how to record the audio too.

Our first few videos were dismal (I'm my own worst critic). I'm forever grateful to the artists who let us film them. As time went on, our craft improved with more reps and videos. The production level rose, and more people noticed our channel.

Once we realised we could make something of it, my friend and I decided to build a real business. Reload Sessions Ltd was born.

Shutting down the business

After 6 years of running the business and making 700 videos, I got to travel the world, meet amazing artists, and gain over 16 million views. In the end, we decided to call it quits. The YouTube scene had become saturated. With fierce competition and our changing lives, we could see the writing on the wall.

I always said this was my biggest failure. I couldn't grow it to the level I had hoped. But I value the experience and skills I gained over the years.

Negotiating, public speaking, delegating, and designing. Also, editing, marketing, finance, and legal. Plus, audio engineering, operating a camera, and pitching business ideas. I took it upon myself to learn all aspects of the business to try and make it work.

To this day, I use a lot of the skills that I gained from building my own business.

Starting over in another country

I mentioned that, in our personal lives, things had changed. It was around this time I decided to move to another country to live with my partner. Since we had shut down the business, it made sense to start off with a clean slate and start all over again.

Since I was in a new country, it made sense to find work rather than start something new again. It would take too much time, and I needed to settle into my new environment without delay.

The problem was that I had been self-employed for so long that I didn't know what it was like to be part of the workforce. I didn't know how to look for a job, what the interview process would be like, nor what field I wanted to get into. I knew that I needed to secure a salary.

I accustomed myself to covering all aspects of the business, that I found it weird to focus on one role. After some self-reflection, I decided that it would be best to focus on finding work in the field of design.

After all, I had graduated with a BA (Hons) in Graphic and Media Design. Plus, I had built and branded a company from the ground up. Although it was my own business, it was still experience, nonetheless.

Finding my role as a UX designer

I knew I wanted to work in design and do something around technology. After a bit of searching across the job boards, I noticed a role that kept popping up: UX designer. I must have been living under a rock while building my business because I had no idea what the role entailed.

I had to educate myself all over again. I didn't have time to go to school and learn the craft. But, building my own business taught me that you could do anything if you put your mind to it.

Like when I started my business, I had to learn what it took to be a UX designer. The more I read, the more I knew this was the role for me.

I treated it like a job; I would wake up and consume everything I could about UX design. I would watch YouTube videos and read books on the subject. I was trying to understand the workflows and processes of the role.

Building my UX portfolio

When I started my business, we realised we needed a portfolio to be able to make a dent in the industry. This was no different; I couldn't find work as a UX designer with no portfolio to my name.

I taught myself Figma, a prototyping tool. I then gave myself projects to build my portfolio. Around this time, I was having the most fun. I was being creative and learning what it took to be a UX designer.

After weeks of building my portfolio and months of learning, it was time to apply for UX designer jobs.

Getting through the difficult times

Throughout my time building my business, I suffered from imposter syndrome. I would always second-guess myself and wonder if I was good enough. I felt this even more when applying for jobs as a UX designer.

There were many no's, and I was losing hope, but I kept on reminding myself that all it takes is one person to say "yes". After several failed interviews, I finally managed to land a role as a UX designer for an IT design agency. From deciding to work as a UX designer to receiving that first yes, it took a total of three months.

I got lucky. Maybe my experience as a business owner was more valuable than I imagined. Or, my mental fortitude shone through in the interviews. Whatever it was, I was able to land my first job as a UX designer.

Right now, I have been in the industry for three years, and I have been rising through the ranks at a swift pace. The same mentality that I had when building a business as well as finding work. I have used that same energy and funneled it into my career.

Anyone can do this, even you

Now you might be reading this thinking to yourself, "There's no way I can recreate what you achieved!". What I want to remind you is that everyone else has their own journey. Yours might not look as extreme as mine. But if my journey shows you anything, it's that you could do anything if you put your mind to it.

It will take hard work, patience, and resilience. But, if you keep at it and stay hopeful, you could land a design job. Whether it's a role like UX design or as an interior designer, keep at it and all your hard work will pay off.