Mentorship

 

This is 40 (and then some)

Breaking into UX writing

I may not look it, but I’m actually an old fart. I’ve undergone a career change about 4-5 different times now, going from customer support management, to marketing, to copywriting, to UX writing/content design.

It’s not a humble brag, it’s more to say that I’ve seen some shit.

Nothing humbles you more than realizing that you’re not doing what you want, or not doing it well (as was most of the times with me), and deciding that you need to switch up your career to a craft where you feel passionate about.

Whether you’re new to the craft, or just starting out your career, I have a lot of sage, old-man type of advice that I hope people find very helpful for breaking into, and excelling in this career path.

Experience

I’m currently a mentor and educator at the School of Visual Concepts in Seattle, where I teach classes on Figma, and mentor writers either getting into, or switching careers into content design.

Previously, I also mentored and taught classes at the UX Writing Hub.

I was also pretty active on Medium for a time a while ago (which I’ll probably pick up again), so you can find me there as well.

Starting a career Q&A

I’ll save more details for an upcoming Medium article, but some quick tips for anyone looking to break into UX writing:

  1. Should I make the transition to UX writing? Start by asking yourself why. Beyond just getting a better job or pay, you need to ask why you’re looking to transition. If it doesn’t involve something around wanting to solve problems for user experiences, this might not be it for you right now.

  2. Should I take a BootCamp? By far the most common question I get. The answer isn’t simple, it varies on the person. But in general, if you can afford it, I would suggest so. It is pretty tough to break into the field without some foundational elements of UX. But having said that, a BootCamp won’t get you ready quite yet. You’ll still need to apply yourself to a job or company that shows off what you can do in the real world.

  3. How do I build my portfolio? There’s no one single way. I would start by using real-life samples of your work, even if your title wasn’t officially a UX writer. If you were a copywriter, content writer, marketer, etc., you need to show how you approached problems, and used content or design to solve it. If you don’t have real-world examples, then make it. Take a prototype, an existing app/site, or even build your own, and show how you’d create content/design for it. Get creative.

Can I talk to you to pick your brain?

I’m currently in Amsterdam, so it might be hard for some of you to meet up for a coffee, but a virtual one works as well. I’m happy to chat about the craft, or any other career topics you want to talk about.

But feel free to drop me a line here, or on Linkedin, and I’ll do my best to make sure we connect.

Bedankt, en Tot ziens!