Significant Career Lesson From a Senior UX Designer at a Property Management Software Company
A significant career lesson learned is the importance of "betting on yourself," recognizing that career paths are rarely linear and that "everything will be figureoutable." This involved overcoming the fear of shifting interests and making incremental steps towards a new career goal, demonstrating confidence in one's skills to navigate a non-traditional path.
Career Pivoting, Confidence Building, Non-Linear Career Paths, Self-Belief, Overcoming Career Challenges
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Jeanmarie Levy
Senior UX Designer
Property Management Software Company
UC Santa Barbara
University of Southern California, Masters of Education in Higher Adminstration
Political Science, American Studies
Technology
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. It's important to bet on yourself and have confidence that you can figure things out.
2. No one's career is perfectly linear; it's okay for interests and career paths to change.
3. Making small, incremental steps over time can lead to significant career growth and pivots.
Transcript
Q11: Significant lesson - career
What is one lesson that you have learned that has proven significant in your career?
One of the greatest lessons I've learned is how important it is to bet on yourself. It's about having the confidence to know that, no matter what, everything will be figureoutable and that no one's career is linear.
I think going to school and college and seeing everyone around me who had robust careers – lawyer, doctor – I thought, "Oh, you study pre-med, you go to be a doctor, and then you go to medical school." That was very linear. I was on one of those linear paths myself, working in higher ed.
I got my master's and was in my doctorate program. But finding out that your interests can change is a scary thing to come to terms with. However, if you do bet on yourself and know that you have everything within your power to make a big career shift, it will work out.
You just have to have the confidence that you have all the necessary skill sets. It might not work out overnight, but over time, if you make tiny incremental steps, you will get up that mountain.