2 brutal facts about becoming a UX Researcher others won't tell you

[@AonaTalks]

Here’s another video about 4 beginner friendly yet super impactful UXR projects you can self-start and include in your portfolio to show your relevant experience: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZqiZnqmbhL-jb7M

[@MarkitaD]

Finally a realistic point of view. I always felt like people weren't acknowledging hurdles I would have to go through to become a UX researcher.

[@jalexanderevans]

Great advice. I've transitioning from Technical Writing to UX Research and my transition modality was conducting UX research on the users of our written product. Also, in my MS program I used MTurk to get real data for class projects as opposed to just running studies on friends and family.

[@gamma_girl]

Thanks for painting a realistic picture... totally agree that it's a struggle to get a job as UXR even with experience because of hiring bar

[@SOPHIAFLYGIRL]

Aona, thank you for making these informative videos. I'm interested in UXR positions and your videos are basically a blueprint on (just) about everything a person needs to get in to the field. Great job.

[@AonaTalks]

Thank you Sophia!

[@Nazanin.shahvali]

It was a great video, thank you so much. I took note of everything however would you mind lower down the volume of the background music it’s really distracting and make it hard to hear what you are saying, 🙏🏼 thank you so much 😊

[@AonaTalks]

Thank you for the feedback! Yes this was one of my first videos so I wasn’t very good at tweaking the volume back then. Feel free to check out my more recent videos and I hope the experience is slightly better :)

[@hirainforest]

Very helpful tips, thank you! I particularly enjoyed your summary of the “research mindset” part of the video.

[@AonaTalks]

Glad it was helpful!

[@justavideodiary]

Fab video and still valid several years after.

[@HyerTimes]

Inquired with a family friend who is a lead designer. He admitted that breaking into the field is tough but Recommended boot camps 110%.

[@AonaTalks]

Thanks for sharing! UX Design and UX Research are very different fields and have different hiring requirements and criteria.

[@lilyla9335]

Im already a market researcher, Im starting to learn by myself about UX Research :D I hope I can transition to this new career soon.

[@carinasilva4497]

I am also a market researcher, what has your process been to transition?

[@marilynb4696]

I’m thinking of starting as an UX researcher. I’m completing my MPH graduate degree and have experience with real research (qualitative interviews), I also have a data analysis experience!!

[@vivid.worker]

thaats goated thanks. i feel like theres not much info on uxr on youtube

[@dalej1]

I'm guessing the best way to gain some experience as UI/UX expert is to join some non-commercial projects.

[@asdfghjk4193]

讲得太好了吧！而且口条清晰，语速够快，我这个常年开2.0的人都不用变速

[@AonaTalks]

因为我已经语速调快了哈哈哈 谢谢！

[@MelissaJetzt]

I did a lot of research in college and have a publication. And right now I work in industry R&D prototyping which is not quite the same but I have had to work on projects such as reducing motion sickness in VR which required some (informal) user studies. I’m looking to see if that would be something I can expand on more so it can align more closely with UX research.

[@AntonellaSpagnoli]

Love your videos

[@seekprateek8]

I am into QA and moving my focus to UX research (As I have been a part providing QA to terrible products. Hahaha) This video was really helpful and straight up on point. No bs. Thanks a lot!

[@leenaas8655]

Thank you so much for this video! I’m graduating from uni next semester (BA) and I really don’t wanna do more schooling. can I still go into UX research? I’m doing my degree in sociology and I’ve learned a lot about qualitative research and some research methods. Thanks a lot!!! xo

[@AonaTalks]

You can - with the prerequisite that you have enough research experience/cases/portfolio built up. Some bigger companies may have a hard screening criteria of degree or YOE in lieu of a degree though FYI

[@BRAZEN_Muse]

I have an undergraduate degree in psychology and some researchers experience I did volunteering at a lab, plus some data analyst work I’ve done. Do you think that could be enough to Land a UXR role?

[@AonaTalks]

It’s not *just about the volume of experience, but quality of your work (how rigorous your approach is, did you do the research end to end yourself or only offered some help here and there) and recency (did you do it last year? Or 5 years ago).

[@kmsi4666]

Highly motivated, thanks.

[@anime549]

I graduated in 2018 with a BA in Anthropology. Since graduation, I haven't gotten a job in my field because no one will hire me due to lack of experience. I've tried applying for archaeology, museum positions, and UX research, but no one wants to hire me. It all feels very depressing. Plus, I have no money to go back to school without taking out massive loans. Do you know of any recruiters or free courses that could help me?

[@AonaTalks]

Do you have adequate training in conducting primary research? Have you been practicing it after you graduated (eg self-initiating projects)? If you want to apply for UXR jobs, experience in conducting research end to end is very important. Self learning (without going back to school) is possible but you have to be very diligent about it because it’s not easy. It’s hard for me to gauge where you are at through a comment. Check out this video as a start kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5-np5aAgsh4q8k to see what you know and don’t know. If you can report back that info (shoot me an email [e-mail]) maybe I can help point you to the right direction

[@alaraabac5063]

Thank you so much for doing this, your videos are very informative! I'm doing a master's program is psychological science and my bachelor's is in psychology as well. So, I would say my background is very research oriented but I have no background in user experience. What are the kind of PhD programs would you recommend that would help me get the experience to be qualified for a UX researcher position? Or would you recommend going for a boot camp instead?

[@jeff2446]

It's great that you're also posting videos in English (in addition to Mandarin). It's great that those of us who don't speak Mandarin can benefit from your knowledge and experience. Thank you very much!

[@AonaTalks]

Hey! All of my videos are in English now. Check them out :)

[@victoriakwong5369]

How do you speak so fluently in your videos? Do you script your dialogue beforehand? I really like the way you lead and transition to different topics when you speak!!!

[@AonaTalks]

daww that’s so kind of you to say that! ☺️ I don’t script my videos line by line but I do list out very detailed talking points. Also it takes LOTS of failed trials to get one sentence right haha (usually for a 10min video my entire footage is 30+mins long 🙃 don’t tell this to others

[@theholistichypnotherapy]

@@AonaTalks I would say still it is great. Thanks for the content. I subscribed to your channel.

[@origaminoh8995]

Thank You Very Much!

[@cherrybombs4888]

Hi! I’m trying to get into UX research and I DO have extensive research experience - i was planning on going to PhD in clinical psych but I’m thinking of taking a couple years off - but I’m having trouble translating those skills the right way in my resume/marketing to successfully make that switch. Do you have any tips?

[@felecia1776]

thank you for the informative videos. how many years have you been in uxr?

[@skeyko4688]

Thank you so much for your great video Anoa! I am so lucky that I find this video before my graduation as a HCI PhD. Are you feeling that it is a good idea to transfer from academia to be a UXR? The over-qualification issue bothers me a lot as I decided leave the academia, but your video inspires me a lot to identify a job position in the industry!

[@AonaTalks]

Industry UXRs also dive and dig really deep into our corresponding areas so I don't think "overqualification" is a blanketed issue - although I would caution that most entry-level UXR roles and responsibilities are more around product design testing, so it may feel like you are "overqualified" at the beginning, if that makes sense. But overall, i think there's so much room for your rigor to shine and grow in this field. :)

[@skeyko4688]

@@AonaTalks Thank you so much for your inspiring reply!😊

[@SB-ge7uu]

Thanks! One question, what is hci or cocci?

[@YesitisDex]

04:09 ⬅️ Start video here😉

[@arielh6141]

I have been enjoying your videos and helpful tips. Thank you for taking the time to put them together 👏 I am a midlife career changer from events marketing and community engagement to UX Design, do you have any suggestions on how to create an eye-catching portfolio and resume? P.S: How do you speaking English and Mandarin so perfectly? I really like your voice ☺️

[@AonaTalks]

I’ll make videos about them in the near future ☺️ thanks for your kind words Ariel!

[@arielh6141]

@@AonaTalks That would be awesome! I look forward to seeing it!

[@sahildeshmukh1462]

@@arielh6141 have you got the job in UX? Can you please tell.

[@carinasilva4497]

How about pivoting from market research to user experience research? Will that experience be enough or what do you recommend to add strength to resumes that have this experience?

[@AonaTalks]

I think most of your research experience would apply however you can keep building on your design knowledge + product sense. You can check out these 2 videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqPVmaCweaiDitk kzbin.info/www/bejne/iHbKfnepqaiZm7M

[@carinasilva4497]

@@AonaTalks thanks! I’ll check those out. Do you think I need any additional formal education like a Boot Camp or will researching the field and familiarizing myself be enough? I am looking to set a goal of transitioning for mid 2022 and dedicating time in between for development and networking.

[@chriscao9505]

thanks for sharing

[@kristianwheatley6386]

I currently work on the Corporate side of a tech company in training. I have a bachelors degree in psychology and I'm thinking of getting a UXR certificate. My company requires 3 years of experience in UX and im wondering if my certificate will make me a good candidate for the position or if I'll need to do more.

[@celicagreen7255]

Can you share a self taught guide on how to be a ui ux designer/product Designer!!

[@AonaTalks]

Check out my latest video :) (but fyi I’m not a designer)

[@JaleelBeig]

Hi Aona, would starting with UI/UX design and learning under a senior designer researcher for good number of years be a good path to land a researcher role?

[@RandomAzzPoztcard]

Thanks!

[@huilee186]

I do have real life research exp. BUT some companies actually prefer those with market research work experience.

[@AonaTalks]

You mean industry research experience?

[@huilee186]

@@AonaTalks Yes.

[@AonaTalks]

@@huilee186 Yes unfortunately that will always be the case for UX hiring (regardless of design or research or UX writing, industry experience is always preferred). But be patient. Also you can try spinning up your own UXR projects to amplify your relevant experience! If you need a coach, lmk :)

[@huilee186]

@@AonaTalks Thank you. I just realize about your personal coaching program. Might consider that haha. Btw, I wonder is it okay to apply for the internship with the same company after being rejected? It was my first technical interview and apparently, I didn't do well in that part. I am thinking of either approaches them and asks about it or brush up myself before reapplying so that I have something new to offer. Appreciate your comment

[@starrhazel92]

Any tips for anyone looking to get NUX research or UX design with no degree I know a lot of people recommend boot camps after getting your certificate any other tips to help us

[@alexandriapoole9238]

Thank you for Sharing! Do you think it's possible to transition to UXR with a Market Research masters?

[@AonaTalks]

My masters was in market research :) Watch this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqrWfodon9ZmY5Y

[@zamzammoallin8527]

Would you recommend going to a university bootcamp or going for the full graduate degree in UXR?

[@AonaTalks]

I answered this question in this video! ->kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5-np5aAgsh4q8k

[@zamzammoallin8527]

@@AonaTalks Thank you, that was helpful.

[@Itsmetulikaa]

@AonaTalks 我是新手，我没有任何 UXR 经验。你会建议我将来成为 UXR 的第一个工作是什么？ ux/ui 设计或其他我来自非技术背景的东西。

[@_sparrowhawk]

"Companies get lazy - they don't feel like training you from scratch" I thought that was the whole point of JOINING a company? Besides, it's not like you're working while you're doing your Master's or Phd. Ugh. What a terrible situation. Wait, no, don't tell me. You spend 6 weeks prepping research and the designers and developers ignore it anyway? Yay! >

[@omarmansour1832]

I have a B.A. in Anthro and a M.A. in Global Studies, which I obtained in September of 2020. I did my MA with a thesis based on 6 months of actual field work conducting interviews, doing ethnography and other general data collection. Is this type of research experience one which would impress in the UX field, or is it just not EXACTLY what they would be looking for. I'm looking to take my first UX course, but I don't want to spend thousands of dollars and months of time on courses, only to find out later that my background doesn't really match and the experience I have isn't directly related. What are your thoughts on that? Is it worth the investment and time if I don't have a Doctorate or the more tailored experiences? I'm almost 29 years old now as well, which i figure factors into hiring decisions.

[@omarmansour1832]

I have current experience as well conducting interviews - admittedly unstructured, single hour long sessions - for short historical articles.

[@AonaTalks]

I welcome other UXRs to comment here but my preliminary thoughts (without looking at details of your work) is that it’s on the edge of being qualified or unqualified. But it’s not because of the subject of your study, more about the amount of hands on research experience you currently have. A company who’s hiring an entry level qualitative UXR who’s main responsibility is to do more assistive research work or carry out simple usability interviews could see you as very qualified. Whereas some others may find you lacking industry experience and experience doing product research. I recommend self starting some projects to hone in your product research skills. Check out these 2 videos to get started: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZqiZnqmbhL-jb7M and kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5-np5aAgsh4q8k

[@AonaTalks]

Also - UX knowledge is VERY needed for the job, regardless of your edu background. There are intro to UX and interaction design classes out there that cost very little or free. As an industry hire (since you are a non new-grad), you are expected to self learn and already have enough UX knowledge to hit the ground running. Google also offers UX Design certificate course with Coursera (that’s free to enroll)

[@omarmansour1832]

@@AonaTalks Thank you so much for the detailed response. I’m glad to hear that my experience is useful, but needs to be built upon. Seeing a lot of preferred qualifications listing psych or behavioral science was intimidating, but more experience can make up for these things, I suppose. Thank you for the resources!

[@omarmansour1832]

@@AonaTalks From my understanding, the Google Coursera course is peer-reviewed work, is that correct? What are your thoughts on that? I was also looking this group called Avocademy, which claims to be very hands-on and have accessible mentors, but I really can’t find much on them. Wondering if you’ve heard of them. Would you say that doing a full course like the Google one and then building my own portfolio would be the way to go, or is there more education (courses, certifications etc) that I would need to pursue?

[@TheNoonzio94]

Will a Master's program in Industrial-Organizational Psychology be adequate for entering the UX Research field?

[@AonaTalks]

How many individual research projects have you worked on? How many methods have you learned how to master? It’s hard for me to gauge whether any programs are “adequate” enough without knowing the trainings, classes, work you’ve done. :/

[@TheNoonzio94]

@@AonaTalks That makes sense. I am currently finishing my undergraduate degrees and plan to pursue graduate studies in Industrial-Organizational Psychology (I am applying for both Ph.D. and Master's Programs). I'm interested in studying I/O Psych for the field in and of itself but, I'm strongly considering UX research as the career within which I apply my graduate credentials. I'm curious if you've had any experience personally or in your network with I/O Psychologists pursuing or being well equipped to pursue UX Research careers. Thank you very much for taking the time to respond! 😃

[@VTalkTogether]

如果刚毕业了，在也能找到工作的情况下，是否应该继续读研究生呢？还是工作一两年后再考虑？

[@AonaTalks]

找到的工作是uxr？还是其他职业？未来还想去做uxr吗？

[@VTalkTogether]

@@AonaTalks 找到的是product designer的职位，也是我自己想要发展的职位方向，但是又同时觉得读研会不会比我这样工作更容易进入大厂。所以特别纠结，毕竟这也是我的第一份工作。

[@Nootlest]

I have a B.S in psychology and a master's in social work... Would somebody like me be considered?

[@StarxXxBurst]

Is an HCI degree the only way to get to where you are? Is a Masters in Human Factors enough? Just curious!

[@AonaTalks]

I dont have an HCI degree

[@jeaninevalliere2472]

Ok this is ridiculous. You can not get rel life experience without being hired to get any.. So it makes no sense. GreatfullyI did projects in school and went to college for this.

[@reyhorizon7853]

Can someone help me what masters program should i go with

[@dmystfy]

Human computer interaction. I’m finished my first year of my masters in HCI at the university of Michigan

[@LouiseL-h8z]

用aona的视频来练习shadow talking 姐姐说话真的太快了😂 0.75倍速都有点跟不上

[@AonaTalks]

并不是哈哈哈因为我早期视频都加快了！

[@modupesowole3071]

Hi please what do you think of a masters in experimental psychology with data science?

[@AonaTalks]

I am not an expert in neither of these fields unfortunately...might be better to consult with a UXR with those background :)

[@morgand9826]

what was the other degree you listed after HCI?

[@AonaTalks]

CogPsy - cognitive psychology. But it’s just an example - most social science (including research trainings) degrees can prepare you for a UXR career

[@IamGenith]

Graduating only with bachelors is not possible??

[@AonaTalks]

Never say never! It’s totally possible (in fact you’ll see a lot of UXRs in the industry with just a bachelor degree). It’s just not easy these days - especially if you want a full time job right after graduating

[@IamGenith]

@@AonaTalks thank you! I graduated with bachelors in IT but worked in Sales/ customer service industry instead and will be going back to school to study another bachelors degree. Now I have an overview of “ transferrable skills I will need to learn” for future reference. I got into Ux Design but I am more interested into researching stuff. Can I say it feels like being a detective?? 😅😅 so silly term

[@user-vu9gd8ed1h]

Needing a PHD is a reach lol Yes, it would def help but soooo unnecessary!

[@m1y912]

视频的风格越来越阳光明亮la~想问下是用什么软件做的？

[@AonaTalks]

剪辑都是用finalcut + procreate瞎画画🤪

[@victoriaskennedy]

It’s not a “PhD degree.” It’s just a PhD.

[@AonaTalks]

I clearly don't have a PhD and English is not my first language :P Thanks for letting me know!