The Problem

Pattern 1: Anxiety and feelings of inadequacy

Ever since I started mentoring aspiring UX researchers on ADPList in February 2021, I've noticed recurring patterns in the questions that my mentees ask me. While it's natural to want to expand one's skills and enhance employability, the underlying anxiety and stress in their inquiries suggests a deeper issue: their desire to be “better“ was because they believed that they were not good enough. Many of these individuals have been repeatedly rejected in their job searches, leading them to believe that acquiring one more skill or experience - getting another degree, learning SQL, taking on a volunteer project - will be the "silver bullet" that will guarantee their success in securing a UX researcher role.

Pattern 2: One-dimensional understanding of what a UX researcher does

In addition to this pervasive sense of inadequacy, I have also observed a limited understanding of the breadth of what a UX researcher can do among my mentees. When I ask what they picture a UX researcher doing on the job, their answers tend to be one-dimensional, often boiling down to conducting usability tests. This narrow view leads them to believe that their research expertise is solely defined by their experience with different research methods, and that prior non-research job experiences are irrelevant.

The Approach

After recognizing the unspoken questions that my mentees were struggling with, I became determined to address their underlying feelings of inadequacy and guide them in communicating their unique value as researchers. I identified two key areas where I could offer support: 1) building their confidence and 2) helping them craft a compelling narrative about their place in the UX research field.

Step 1: Helping mentees understand the real skills required of a good UX researcher

Step one was to help mentees understand what UX researchers really do, and what skills (other than knowing various research methods) were crucial to being successful on the job.

The first talk I worked on was titled “What bootcamps don’t teach you as a UX researcher“. I used fictitious project examples to illustrate the concepts, and highlighted the multi-dimensional nature of a UX researcher’s work:

• Making sure the right research is done (understanding the real problem behind the request, choosing the right methods)

• Conducting research and analyzing data (this is what bootcamps and school programs focus on)

• Making sure research has impact (different types of insights need to be communicated differently, tactical vs. strategic impacts)

• UX researchers end up spending a lot of time communicating, and mentees may have already built that crucial skill in prior experiences

Next I worked with my Dell colleague Don Hill on a panel discussion titled “The REAL day in the life of UX researchers: Necessary soft skills you weren’t taught“. We used real examples of the challenges we faced on the job to help aspiring UX researchers understand the soft skills required to navigate challenges such as:

• How to align with co-workers/stakeholders who haven’t been exposed to UX research

• How to navigate organizational internal processes by building relationships and trust (internal networking)

• How to make your work more effective and impactful by evangelizing UX research within the organization

Step 2: Helping mentees tell a better story about themselves

Once mentees understood the multidimensionality of a UX researcher’s job and started to recognize their prior experiences are not irrelevant, the second step was to help them tell a better story about themselves, instead of solely focusing on checking off all the bullets on the job description (and feeling inadequate when they are unable to do so).

In 2022, I put together another talk titled “I’m not your typical candidate, and that’s ok“. I wanted this presentation to not just be about how storytelling is important, but how mentees can use it to identify their qualities and skills from prior experiences that will make them work more effectively as UX researchers.

To encourage mentees to start thinking beyond “research skills“ in their story, I showed examples from the discussions I had with mentees in different fields, highlighting the skills they didn’t realize could be important in a UX role.

As the job market turned more competitive, I unfortunately have had more mentoring sessions with aspiring UX professionals who are disheartened. From the questions I receive from the mentees after they’ve seen the talk, I also realized the advice could be more directed and actionable. In 2024, I evolved this presentation to “From Self-Doubt to Self-Discovery: Transforming UX Job Research with Your Unique Story“.

The new presentation focused on helping the mentees

• Feel empowered to define their value they bring beyond what’s listed on the job descriptions

• Comprehend the realities and challenges UX professionals face and what makes someone effective

• Identify the impacts (tactical, strategic, interpersonal) they’ve had in their past experiences

• See a real story in action with how I define my own value as a Principal UX Researcher

This was presented at the UXPA Boston Conference in May 2024 to a room of over 100 audience members (!)

The Impact

Alongside completing over 500 one-on-one mentoring sessions on ADPList, the four talks have collectively reached over 1,500 individuals. It's humbling to hear from mentees that my talks have helped them reconsider how they approach the job search process, with some expressing the therapeutic power the presentations have brought them.