Stuck in UX. What if I don’t survive this industry? (honest chat)

[@blossomstills]

this video just popped on my feed and i didn't know how i needed this. i graduated in 2023 and i've "wasted" my 2024 job hunting for a whole year. i'm also the eldest daugther of african immigrant parents and it's a really overwhelming situation. i know that finding your first job as a junior is hard but looking at the state of the market right know it's not giving me much hope and the simple thought of having choose another career path (for the 4th time) just breaks my heart because i enjoy design so much and i don't want to give up :(((((

[@nya1111]

crazy how this video came out just when i needed it

[@mimimichi]

Happy to hear :) Happy new year!

[@lazysundaybook_]

I really needed this video! I'm also a product designer and went through a tough performance review and it really hurt my confidence. There is always room for growth and sometimes how we hear it can be tough. A few weeks ago, I left the company and looking back, I realize that it wasn't worth the stress, anxiety, and always feeling like failure when I gave it my all. I love this honest chat :)

[@mimimichi]

I'm so sorry you had to go through that, but I'm happy you have a new perspective from it. Thanks for your support :)

[@xDivenire]

Dropping facts! Thanks for always keeping it real! We got this 🙌🏻

[@mimimichi]

Woohoo! We got this!!

[@SwimmingUpCurrents]

I so feel this. As someone who is also mid-career in UX (whatever that means haha) I’m feeling so confused about where we are headed and what this looks like long term staying as an IC. I’m also getting so tired of my company pulling the rug out from us… first with delaying raises, then pulling back on parental leave, and finally only paying a quarter of our bonus… all while having a good revenue year. I really feel that they are using the market fear to get away with everything they can and turn a better profit for the private investors who bought us and it’s given me such a bad taste in my mouth. I’m worried about starting the job hunt but you just don’t know what it’s like until you get out there, right?

[@tientienc]

+1 to all of this! something else that crossed my mind about the The Weekend reference, I feel like tech companies have now moved into the mainstream. I think maybe a decade or two ago, these companies were seen as the creative, breaking corporate norms etc. These tech folks were the artist the times, experimenting, exploring and pushing the bounds of technology. But human history seems to repeat itself, and now these tech companies end up corporatizing themselves and now it's about organizational politics and reaching the bottom line. And to be honest with the boom in AI, I think it's a rat race to see who can use it, integrate it and profit from it the fastest, which adds to the fatigue as well. You don't get time to think you have to react and build.

[@mimimichi]

YES! I was thinking the same thing! Back then, we'd have designers inventing the infinite scroll or swipes, etc but now so many patterns are already created we've prioritized efficiency and design systems over innovating new ones.

[@isaac_baik]

What do you think the future of UX would look like with 2025? Curious about if I should sidestep into this industry and wanting to gather some general feelers for professionals already in the industry!

[@AlexSmith-ti3yu]

This is perfect timing, I have had the same thoughts. I’m a product designer with 3 years of experience who was laid off in August but luckily got a job three weeks later. The residual effects of my layoff always have me wondering if it will happen again or if I enter the job market again will it always be this way? It also doesn’t help that there are differing opinions on LinkedIn about the future of UX. *long sigh* hopefully we will figure it out girl. Sending you nothing but love and light ✨

[@mimimichi]

I hear ya! The uncertainty is real but we're gonna power through.

[@lolaaaa5643]

Realistically like many jobs tech or not, a lot of grunt work will soon be replaced with AI, which will be the main struggle many working-class people face shortly. At the end of the day, you'll have to choose whether you fight against or with your company. I wish you good luck, strength, and prosperity in 2025!

[@nope8977]

Thank you for sharing your experiences and anxieties! As someone that is sorta considering transitioning into uiux this is really interesting to hear. I see myself primarily as an artist/designer and frankly, the corporatization of tech really turns me off, along with the rat race towards AI. I know that corporations and office politics are inescapable no matter where you go, but sometimes with tech i really wonder what is the end goal for some companies and what are they trying to improve or help? maybe im jaded/pessimistic but it all feels like bullshit sometimes.

[@ArtTipswithJohnS.-ty7nr]

Me too!

[@TopMyster_]

Do you know any free courses besides the google and meta one for UX design beginners?

[@babichona]

I really feel that too..! I really thought I got used to America, still sometimes my East Asian conscious is here

[@FarrFromPerfect]

Welcome to being average. It gets worse.

[@harambeboy]

I’m a stripe, let me know if you wanna chat