Ditching My Desk Job: My Accidental Journey into UX Design

From Spreadsheets to Screen Flows: Why I Needed a Change

Okay, so here’s the thing. I used to work in finance. Yeah, finance. Numbers, spreadsheets, the whole nine yards. And honestly? It was soul-crushing. I mean, sure, the pay was decent, but every day felt like a carbon copy of the last. I was staring at rows and columns, feeling like I was slowly turning into a robot. Not exactly living the dream, you know? I kept thinking, “There has to be something more fulfilling than this.”

I’d always been drawn to creative stuff, even though I never really pursued it seriously. I loved browsing design blogs, admiring cool websites, and generally nerding out about user interfaces. It’s kind of like looking at art, but instead of just being pretty, it’s also… functional? Is that the right word? It just felt like it had a purpose beyond just existing, and that spoke to me. I started wondering if I could somehow merge my love of problem-solving (which I actually *did* enjoy in finance) with something more visually engaging. That’s where UX started creeping into my mind. But at the time, UX felt like this mysterious, almost unattainable thing. How do you even *get* into UX design?

My UX Design Education: A Hilarious Series of Mistakes

So, I decided to take the plunge. I quit my job. (Okay, maybe not *immediately*. There was a lot of internal debate and nervous pacing involved.) I spent weeks researching UX design bootcamps, online courses, and every free resource I could find. I stayed up way too late, fueled by caffeine and the vague hope that I wasn’t making a huge mistake. I signed up for a few introductory courses on platforms like Coursera and Udemy. Honestly, some of them were great, and some were… not so great.

There was this one course where the instructor used Comic Sans in all his presentations. *Comic Sans*. I almost rage-quit on the spot. It was a tough decision to ignore that and keep going. Who uses Comic Sans in a design course? I’m still scratching my head about that one. But I stuck with it, learned the basics of wireframing, user research, and prototyping. And you know what? It started to click. I realized that UX design wasn’t just about making things look pretty (although that’s definitely part of it). It was about understanding people, their needs, and their frustrations, and then designing solutions that actually made their lives easier.

I also made some pretty epic mistakes along the way. I remember one project where I completely forgot to do user testing. I designed this amazing (in my humble opinion) app interface, only to discover that nobody could actually figure out how to use it. Ugh, what a mess! Talk about a humbling experience. But it taught me a valuable lesson: UX design is not about what *you* think is good; it’s about what your *users* think is good.

Landing My First UX Job: Imposter Syndrome is Real

After months of learning, practicing, and building my portfolio, I started applying for jobs. And let me tell you, the job search was brutal. Rejection after rejection. I started to doubt myself. Was I good enough? Was this whole career change a huge mistake? I felt that imposter syndrome kicking in big time. It’s funny, because in finance I had the opposite problem – sometimes I felt *too* confident. In UX, I felt like everyone else was light years ahead of me.

But I kept pushing. I networked like crazy, went to meetups, and connected with other designers online. And eventually, someone gave me a chance. I landed an internship at a small tech startup. I was so nervous on my first day. I felt like everyone was speaking a different language, with their talk of “user flows,” “A/B testing,” and “design sprints.” I was constantly asking questions, taking notes, and trying not to look completely clueless.

But you know what? Everyone was incredibly supportive. They were patient with my learning curve and willing to share their knowledge. And slowly but surely, I started to feel like I belonged. I started contributing to projects, offering my ideas, and even making a few suggestions that people actually liked! It was an amazing feeling.

What I Wish I Knew Before Switching to UX

Okay, so if I could go back in time and give myself some advice before making the career switch, here’s what I would say:

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Seriously, no question is too stupid. The UX field is constantly evolving, and everyone is always learning.
• Build your portfolio early. Start working on projects as soon as possible. It doesn’t matter if they’re perfect; just get something out there.
• Network, network, network. Connect with other designers, attend meetups, and join online communities. You never know who you might meet or what opportunities might arise.
• Be prepared to hustle. Landing your first UX job can be tough. Don’t give up! Keep learning, keep practicing, and keep applying.
• Embrace failure. You’re going to make mistakes. It’s inevitable. Learn from them and move on.

Honestly, switching to UX design was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It’s challenging, rewarding, and constantly evolving. And it’s definitely a lot more fulfilling than staring at spreadsheets all day. I’m not going to pretend it was easy, but it was so worth it. So, if you’re thinking about making a career change, I say go for it! You might surprise yourself. And if you’re as curious as I was, you might want to dig into this other topic of visual design versus interaction design to better understand your skillset.