7 Ways to Accelerate Your UX Design Career Journey

nce upon a time, I was a content marketer. A longer time ago than that I was a recording engineer. Later on, I became a UX content strategist…and now I’m a UX designer.

Whether you’re just getting started, or want a boost, these things will help reset, restart, or jumpstart your UX career.

1. Join a Meetup (or 2 or 3 or 4)

Don’t just join a UX design meetup. Do tech meetups. Do programmer and developer meetups. Go to women in tech meetups. Etc. etc.

Go with an open mind, see who you can help. And be genuinely interested in the people there. Be honest about where you are at. Connect with people with more experience, less experience, and a similar amount of experience as you.

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2. Enroll in a UX Design course online

This can be anywhere from free to expensive. Start with free! Go to Udemy. Linkedin Learning. Coursera. Find a UX Bootcamp offering freebies. See what universities are offering introductory courses. List your accomplishments on Linkedin.

Also, if you haven’t already, consider learning some entry-level code. I like Codeacademy.

3. Enroll in a UX Design course locally

See if there are any 1-day courses you can take in your area (try Meetup.com to start). It’s a great place to learn, getaway, meet other creative people, and give your mind a refresher while you boost your knowledge. Or, it’s a great way to figure out if UX design is for you if you’re just getting started.

4. Go to a hack-a-thon

UX designers are going to hack-a-thons, too. As probably one of the few designers attending, you’ll have more opportunities to stand out, get your feet wet, and get recruited for volunteer projects.

5. Get a career coach

UX career coaches provide 1:1 mentorship and training that can be extremely invaluable. Google who’s out there…or message me and I’ll recommend you to a few I met while in UX design school. Oh yea, Linkedin has professionals offering career advice, too.

6. Learn more about what your co-workers do

Study or take a course on what a front end dev, back end dev, content manager, content strategist, marketer, project manager, product manager, etc. do and how to do that job well. It will help you work better and have greater empathy for your team and / or boss/supervisor.

7. Take a break and enjoy a different creative skill

If you like to draw, write, read, go for walks, make pottery, photography, music, etc. — do it! And take time doing it without guilt. It does help you become a better UX designer.

Ok, there are your 7. Go get ’em!

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Article originally published at UX Collective