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As the demand for skilled UX professionals continues to rise globally, you might be curious about entering this exciting industry. In fact, you may have Googled “how to become a UX Designer” a few times just to see if you have what it takes to carve out a successful career.
Over the course of your searches, you may have encountered several myths surrounding breaking into the UX industry. Given how it’s a relatively new industry to most people, it isn’t surprising that there are several misconceptions about who is or isn’t qualified to apply for UX openings.
Fortunately, a career in UX design is more accessible than you might think. To prove that point, let’s debunk a few common myths about the UX industry to see how a potential move fits into your plans and capabilities:
I need to be a graduate of UX to enter the UX design industry
Although many colleges and universities now offer undergraduate UX Design diplomas, these degrees aren’t a requirement if you want to start a UX career. UX, at its core, is interdisciplinary. This means the industry values having people of different educational backgrounds. Some of the top college degrees that translate well into UX include:
- Information Technology
- Industrial Design
- Graphic Design
- Communications
- Psychology
Additionally, those who prefer to develop and hone their UX design skills beforehand can easily apply for a specialized short course like Enderun Extension’s Professional Diploma in UX Design program. These short courses are designed to help you familiarize yourself with the skills and mindset necessary to build a thriving UX Design career.
I need to have prior work experience in UX to be noticed by employers
Given the rapid growth and perceived youth of the UX industry as a whole, employers understand that not all applicants will have prior work experience in UX. Instead, most employers are looking for people with the right blend of enthusiasm, attitude and transferable skills from previous careers. That said, nearly any previous work experience that demonstrates you have an understanding of customers’ needs and/or your ability to communicate clearly are well within the scope of “related experience”.
I need to know how to code to be in UX
Although coding is a part of developing platforms, not everyone in the industry needs to know how to code. Just like any industry, UX has a lot of moving parts that collaborate with one another in order to create a finished product. If you know that you prefer to work heavily on the design aspect of a digital product, coding knowledge can be helpful, but isn’t required as you’re sure to collaborate with a member of the team who is in-charge of the coding work.
A graphic design background is the only one that allows for a career shift to UX
Graphic design is one of the best backgrounds to come from if you want to shift towards a career in UX, but it definitely isn’t the only one. Similar to how different degree holders can make it into the industry, those with different backgrounds will be able to find UX positions. After all, UX design goes beyond aesthetics. It also requires critical thinking, problem solving, research, and a host of other skills. As such people who have previous experience as web developers, market researchers, content writers, and more have been able to break into the UX industry.