Becoming a ResearchH.E.R (Highly Enterprise Ready)
Summary
I very quickly noticed how my entire professional journey had molded me into a UX Researcher that had a broader reach with teams, people, customers/users, and industry knowledge. In the Enterprise space I was/am able to successfully leverage so many of my other skills obtained in my other positions to make me a dynamic well-rounded researcher outside of just knowing principles, cognitive behaviors, data synthesis, and writing reports. It was the culmination of all of me, owning and leveraging ALL of my experiences that allowed me to connect the UX dots to my previous 15 years of experience. Eventually, I was doing onsite interviews with various Silicon Valley companies and then landed at LinkedIn. I am a ResearchH.E.R – Highly Enterprise Ready.
Key Insights
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Career paths in UX can be nonlinear and enriched by diverse professional experiences across different fields.
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Economic hardships and layoffs can lead to pivotal career transformations when approached with hope and resilience.
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Running towards a career goal rather than just away from dissatisfaction or setbacks is crucial for intentional growth.
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Internal hires with deep domain knowledge bring invaluable context and relationships to UX teams, often overlooked.
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Combining skills from project management, sales, and customer success creates a powerful foundation for user research.
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Formal credentials like degrees or PhDs are not always prerequisites to successfully transition into UX careers.
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User journey mapping can bridge gaps between customer success and UX, fostering better organizational understanding.
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People with enterprise experience bring unique advantages in navigating executive conversations and stakeholder relationships.
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Organizations often miss opportunities to promote internal talent into UX roles, which could strengthen their teams and reduce onboarding time.
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Personal storytelling and vulnerability in sharing career journeys can inspire others to embrace nontraditional paths in UX.
Notable Quotes
"Let me just take you along this journey, where it began."
"Don’t just run away from something. Make sure you are running towards something."
"If you make a pretty page, that’s great. But if the users can’t actually use the page or they’re frustrated, you just have a pretty page."
"I was kind of wandering around aimlessly trying to find the next job."
"I was going to use everything that I had experienced, all the skills, all the successes, and become my own superpower."
"You’re not one of them. And that is your strength, Renee. That is your power."
"I was able to connect the dots a lot for the UX team because I had those relationships from customer success."
"Only one internal hire on the UX team was a huge misopportunity for us."
"Having those tough conversations with C-Suite execs, delivering findings with unwavering voice because you know the customer."
"I want people to question why I’m not in the room if I’m not there."
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