You don't need hi-tech cyber skills to succeed in one of IT’s most in-demand roles. Learn how UX skills retraining can lead to great jobs for service leavers, veterans, and their families.
Curious about retraining for a tech career? Not all of them require intensely ‘techy,’ IT-focused cyber skills. Some of the most valuable IT jobs need a different set of skills altogether- and you may already have some.
Creativity, ambition, and empathy are the real keys to success in User Experience Design, otherwise known as ‘UX.’ The UX designer role is to make a product or service usable, enjoyable, and accessible, enhancing the whole experience that a user has while interacting with a company and its digital platforms.
Global demand for UX design pros is rising at a rapid rate! Glassdoor named UX designer as one of its ‘50 Best Jobs to Have in 2022.’ LinkedIn has also ranked UX design as one its top 5 in demand skills.
A sizable skills gap has left more than 5,000 UX jobs sitting vacant in the UK, waiting for qualified and creative people to claim them. Read on to learn how we at TechVets can help you take the first steps.
What Do UX Designers Do?
UX designers are involved in almost every stage of an IT project’s life cycle. It’s a tech specialisation with low barriers to entry, affordable certification options, and competitive average salaries (£30K-£63K according to CNN Money stats), making it ideal for many military spouses and service leavers in tech.
A UX pro (UX designer, UX architect, researcher, or product designer) can have a workload that varies greatly depending on the company they work for. UX jobs are usually flexible, remote, and involving a lot of variety.
Typical UX tasks include:
- creating accessible, equity-focused, & user centered design plans
- testing wireframes/prototypes for apps, sites, & cross-platform projects
- conducting interviews, research, and usability studies related to their UX
- empathising with users to define 'pain points' in systems & find solutions
You might be well suited to this type of role if you easily empathise with others. A non-design background can really add value to you as a UX designer. Everything from psychology to coding can help pave the way for your success in this field.
What Tools and Training Do You Need?
There are loads of great resources available for people interested in developing their general eye for design. Your own experience is invaluable, too: if you’re a regular consumer of content on social media, apps, and web pages, you’ve already developed a sense of what works intuitively and what doesn’t.
Professionals in this industry do require UX-specific training and certification to secure IT work, however. They should be proficient in using software like Figma/Adobe Xd, and hold certifications like the industry standard ‘Google UX Professional Design Certificate.’
How Can TechVets Support You Retraining for This Field?
Like much of UX design work itself, UX design training can often be done flexibly and remotely. If you are a TechVets member you can access the Google UX certification program through us, free of charge.
If you are a veteran, service leaver, reservist, or military spouse considering UX design training, register your interest at [email protected]. All TechVets members can access our full range of job success support, including upskilling opportunities, partnerships with top tech companies, a community of mentors, job boards, and more.
To learn more about tech job retraining options that might best suit you, visit the link below.
