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Kill 3 birds with 1 stone

michele ronsen

This holiday weekend I enjoyed terrific family time. The conversations ran the gamut and a few of them gave me pause. My nephew, for instance, asked me why I teach and coach. I replied with my typical response. "I love it! The more I teach/coach the better practitioner I become. And the more I practice the better teacher/coach I become. It's reciprocal."

He paused, then asked me what I "really get" out of it. And I looked into his twinkle-y, tween eyes and I said with a genuine smile "knowledge. I'm a learner. I learn from my students every single day. We learn form each other." That response led him to ask me what I learned lately...

HERE ARE THREE OF THE MANY THINGS YOU HELPED ME REALIZE

1) It's hard to know how your user research skills stack up. I was in this boat for a long time also. You are not alone in wondering about this. There is good reason for you to be scratching your head too because:

  • There’s no clear or consistent measurement or assessment of UXR

  • The definition of “success” is muddy and job titles are inconsistent

  • The journey to break into UXR, or level up, feels long and lonely

  • There aren’t a lot of people available to give you feedback along the way

  • Hands-on learning options are far and few between. (One of my students flew up from Los Angeles to take my classes - on two separate occasions!)

2) It's hard to find ways to improve your research chops. Yep, I've been there too.

  • It feels strange to make up a project to work on

  • You don't know where to start

  • It's hard to imagine that a potential employer would take a factious project seriously

  • You can't find the right people to recruit or don't know who you should recruit

  • It's intimidating to think about doing it alone

  • You don't have time along with everything else on your professional development plate

  • There aren't a lot of easily accessible UXR classes or programs

Sound familiar? I could go on and on but I'll put that on hold (for now).

3) A [UXR] portfolio is a foreign concept for many of you. Yes, some people refer to portfolios as case studies. These terms may be interchanged. However a portfolio is different from a resume and CV in that it includes student and or professional project work.

Whatever you call it, it’s important to have one and to maintain it over time. Why? Because resumes and LinkedIn profiles don’t tell a hiring manager or recruiter a lot about you as a [UXR] candidate. A portfolio provides a richer, and more intimate, opportunity to demonstrate how you may fit their needs.

Your portfolio should:

  • Be available online 24/7. Yes, you may password protect a portion of it

  • Capture your professional essence and breadth of expertise

  • Convey your thought process, skills, knowledge, interests, and experience

  • Demonstrate how you communicate and collaborate. UX and UXR are team sports!

  • Document your key accomplishments and industry activities

  • Help remove some of the friction during the interview process

  • Evolve over time. You and your work are not, and should not be, static

  • Be authentic

  • Show what is interesting to you, or about you, professionally and personally. Use it to help you stand out

Here are some strong [UXR] portfolios and inspiration:

If you don't have a portfolio, are confused about where to start, how to handle your NDA protected work, or face other portfolio challenges, let's talk. These are all surmountable. I've been there too! I'm thinking about creating a workshop around this topic specifically. Let me know if this might interest you.

Nope. I am not going to leave you there with three problems. So now what?

TAKE THE PLUNGE. KILL 3 BIRDS WITH 1 STONE AND RUN A STUDY!

That’s right. Build a study and gather feedback on your portfolio, resume and or LinkedIn profile from people that represent your “users.” Hey, this is a great exercise to build your research chops regardless of the industry you currently work in.

Whew to start? Build a research plan. Think about your approach, the timeframe, the resources/platforms you have available and the people best positioned to provide feedback. If you work in UX or UXR consider three segments; recruiters, people who hire UX professionals, and people who teach in UX fields. If you are not in, or aspire to break into these areas, then adapt the segments to your industry.

Some thought starters to inspire a discussion guide:

  • How usable and understandable is the [portfolio, case study, resume, LinkedIn profile]

  • Are the [positions, companies, methods, industries] you aspire to work in easy to ascertain

  • How would you summarize the [work, strengths, opportunities] based what you "see or read"

  • Is the [portfolio, case study, resume, LinkedIn profile] experience consistent with what you "know"

  • Are the mobile and desktop experiences [delivering a similar story, easy to navigate, consistent]

  • Are hard skills [recruiting, interviewing, quant/qual, platform] front and center

  • Are the soft skills [passion, collaboration, drive] coming through

  • How does the “total package” compare to similar practitioners or students

  • What do you think of the “total package” overall

  • What’s working well and what could be improved upon

  • Who else would you recommend I solicit feedback from

Helpful resources on building UX and UXR portfolios:

If it feels more comfortable, partner with someone else to gather feedback for each other. You test their materials and they test yours. (BOOM! There's that reciprocity theme again...) Make sure you agree on your specific research and career goals, and a consistent note-taking strategy then gather input just like you would on a new product you're developing for sale. After all, these are your sales tools!

Then analyze and synthesize the data. Create a top-line report (minimum) or a case study with video clips (ideal). Make sure to include "before" images, pull quotes, and recommendations. Then address the feedback (and pat your self on the back).

I guarantee potential employers will find this approach unique and impressive. Passion, resourcefulness, initiative and rigor are terrific skills to demonstrate. Simply soliciting their participation, and asking for referrals to gather feedback from next, will broaden your network! And did I mention you'll also kill 3 birds with 1 stone? Hey, be careful out there.

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SPEAK UP, GET INVOLVED, SHARE THE LOVE

Now help yourself to one more serving and take a nap! You deserve it. I’m thrilled, and grateful, to know you.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Stay curious,