Ever just, like, want to start something new? I did.
In 2009 when I graduated from college, I had no idea how to make a career out of a sociology degree. Fast forward 13 years and I’ve managed to create a successful career as a technical recruiter but I think I’ve found a specialty where I can put my degree to use meaningfully.
I know recruiting inside and out, and I have been in almost every hiring situation imaginable. So what’s the most natural next step? I decided that the answer was to change my career trajectory entirely. Will this work? I guess the only way to know is to try it out and see.
During the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years, I saw countless candidates take the opportunity to reinvent themselves and it made me wonder if I could do it too. These candidates came from all different backgrounds but one common thing I always try to keep in mind is the candidate’s experience.
So many candidates have been burned by bad recruiting processes and so much of my day-to-day is completely out of the realm of my control.
“It’s never too late to start the day over. — Michael Franti
As I thought about my next few years, I think about the line from the office where Michael Scott is offering a competing salesman (Danny Cordray) a job to work for him and asks “Do you want your life to be better…or to be worse, or to stay the same?”.
It’s a simple question but so many of us older millennial's have been raised with a fear of starting over. I know that if I start over, my life can only get better.
I’ve always considered myself to be a creative person, but I’m not traditionally educated in the arts. In my 20's I always joked that I wished they had a college major in arts and crafts because I would have aced that shit.
I played an instrument for 11 years, I started scrap booking and making cards in my teens, and in my 20's I took a series of cake decorating classes that helped me turn visual ideas into tangible (and edible) art.
I’m also a person that thrives in process improvement. I walk into businesses and immediately assess the user experience or analyze why people are using particular services or are not using others. When I have a good user experience, I tend to go out of my way to leave positive reviews.
TLDR: Come along on this journey with me to start my career in UX.