From Psychology to UX Design: The beginning of a career path change.
Hi. My name is Aby, I am an Industrial Psychologist, currently working in Human Resources. When I was 17 I faced the big decision of choosing a career for college, and essentially, choosing what I (thought) I had to do my entire life. Society promotes a non-stop kind of life in which you go from middle school, to high school, straight into college and into the job you’re going to have your entire life. I thought I was making the right choice back then, but four years into college I realized the idea of working in HR my entire life was not something I was necessarily excited or happy about.
I will admit, sometimes I think this is the result of a quarter life crisis, as I am about to turn 25. But for a long time I had no idea what I truly wanted to do with my life. I felt like I had no talent, I was swimming in a sea of people who had a perfect, complete notion of what they wanted to do and I felt as though I was the only one who had absolutely no idea where to go next.
Funny enough, we live in a society that tries to convince you that if you make a choice you are not entirely happy with, you have to live with it and stick it out. It also tries to tell you, you’re too old for a career path change. This made sense until I realized it’s never too late. It will never be too late. But I had to find something I was truly passionate about and I had absolutely no idea what it was, I just knew I wanted to be on the creative side.
I would be lying if I tried to tell you how I found out something like UX Design even existed, because truly I do not remember. All I remember is looking up UX Design videos on Youtube and being drawn to it more and more. Now, it is no secret that the future lies in technology, but I thought this was an impossible dream because I knew little to nothing about technology, let alone programming or coding, and I thought it was impossible for me, a psychologist, to join the tech world.
After watching a lot of Youtube videos, I decided I really liked the idea of UX Design, but I had no idea where to start, and to be honest with you, I am still trying to figure it out. However, I looked up free courses and ran into a free UX Design Introduction course on Coursera. To my surprise, the instructor was a psychologist working in UX Design. Believe me when I tell you, everything finally made sense. I realized all five years of college were not a waste, that I could actually involve my psychology knowledge in something I am truly passionate about. And the best part? I do not need to know how to code (although if I did, that’d be cool).
This was a game changer for me. I realized it’s not too late and as a psychologist, I can definitely be a part of the UX Design and technology world. I know, however, it’s not going to be easy. But I am going into this knowing that I can do absolutely anything I set my mind to. I am determined to find my passion in serving others through creativity, and now I know it’s possible.
If you made it all the way here, you were most likely thinking a career path change was almost impossible for you, but let me tell you, as long as you are alive, the possibilities are endless. I have decided I will document my career path change process as self therapy, and also to inspire others who feel hopeless. There is hope, you can still find your passion, it is never too late.
So far, I have taken a few steps towards my goal of joining the UX Design community. I am currently taking the Google UX Design professional course and have found a couple kind strangers on the internet that are willing to mentor me through this process. I have absolutely no experience in the technology field, but I have a burning desire to serve others through creativity and I am looking forward to updating you in my next post, but until then, I pray you find your passion and start taking steps towards it.
Until next time,
Abby, an aspiring UX Designer.
