Photo by Javier Allegue Barros on Unsplash

Does career path matter for new designers?

It’s a good sign that you are aware that there are multiple paths you can pursue. It’s even better that you start thinking about career paths when making career choices.

This article will discuss how you may consider career paths at the beginning of your career in UX and some tips on how to choose the right one for yourself.

Do you really wanna be a designer?

千里之行， 始于足下。

Making the wrong career decision today does not necessarily mean you won’t be doing well in the future, but likely you will be unhappy doing something not enjoyable or fulfilling.

People want to become product designers for various reasons. Surprisingly and dangerously, not every new designer knows why they chose this career. Maybe you needed a job and design is closest to your current skill set. Maybe you heard about a competitive salary and decided to give it a try. Or maybe you really feel like solving problems and making an impact (that is a relief). If your initiative was the first two kinds, be careful that you might meet a bottleneck really soon if you don’t develop the passion, interest, and motivation for the job.

Career path develops like a tree. Your choices will become wider as you grow.

When you are less experienced, you naturally have fewer choices. The initial job-hunting competition can be strong. Note that even if you studied UX design doesn’t mean you can only become a designer. Especially for people fresh out of boot camp, you might still be getting familiar with Figma, and you are not sure if you like it. Within the UX domain, you can also choose to become a UX researcher or UX writer.