How UX adventure can help your career

For the month of July, we’re talking careers! We want to help you get the tools and advice you need to get started in UX, or take your career to the next level. Look out for more posts on this topic, and don’t forget to join the conversation in the forums!

UX is an exciting profession – often at the forefront of new and innovate product development efforts and frequently allowing for a steady flow of intriguing work activities.

But work activities are not everything. In fact, I’ve found that sometimes the most exciting parts of a UX career are not on the job and may not even be paid activities.

I used the term “UX adventure” back in 2012 to refer to activities which were tangentially related to a UX career but were not part of a standard UX day job. Since then, I’ve discussed UX adventure on the radio, written articles, and have facilitated many an in-person discussion about the merits of UX adventure.

Sometimes you need to shake things up to gain a new perspective.

In fact, I feel just as strongly today about the merits of UX adventure as I did four years ago. As a freelancer, I’ve actually used my additional flexibility to balance my own user research work that I do with a variety of UX adventure activities.

So what is UX adventure?

UX adventure can be anything you do outside of your normal UX workflow that you enjoy doing but which also can help enhance your resume and validate your brand as a UX professional. UX adventure could mean getting involved in UX organizations (for me, it was my local UXPA chapter and then UXPA International).

UX adventure could mean giving talks about topics which you’re passionate about. UX adventure could mean writing – blogs, articles, or even perhaps a UX-related book. UX adventure can even mean activities with other UX professionals that themselves would otherwise we totally unrelated to work – for example, organizing a hike.

UX adventure could mean giving talks about topics which you’re passionate about.

Why involve yourself in UX adventures?

Well, for one thing, it’s exciting. Sure there are adventures that you could have which are totally unrelated to your UX work, but UX adventures provide an extra bonus – they enhance your image as a UX professional.

More than that though, by increasing exposure to people and places you create serendipity in your UX career. You’ll increase the chance that you’ll find your next project or your next job or even your next exciting UX adventure to further your incredible UX career!

Want to find out more? Join Cory Lebson in our next Ask the UXperts session: Finding and Planning Your Ideal Career Path. 

2pm Wednesday 27 July PDT or 7am Thursday 28 July AEST. Get the details. 

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by Cory Lebson via UX Mastery