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Crucial skills outside of boot camp — Skills that moved me from student to senior designer
If you’re reading this, you’re most likely in the thick of it — in a UX design boot camp, working around the clock, floating by at work as you make this career shift.
Before design, I worked in marketing at Macy’s. I commuted from West Oakland Bart, making enough to pay my rent but knew marketing wasn’t it. I wanted creative freedom and to make things that mattered, at least to me.
Juggling a boot camp and a full-time job tested my limits. For 9 months, I was stressed, sleepless, and in tears while overcompensating at work due to my guilt of this double life. Then I was unemployed for almost a year. Macy’s closed down the SF office, served severance, then the pandemic hit. Picked up a few junior gigs freelancing to get some experience for the resume. Then I got my first official product designer role at an agency.
Fast forward 3 years, I’m a senior product designer at a stable company with opportunities for growth.
While strategizing this gap, I learned about what to focus on, how to study, and how to grow credibility.
Past lives into present power
Your unique experiences led to your unique skill set and perspective. Convert those details into a…