Gabriela Masini She is a student of Bootcamp Master Interface Design And tell us What was it like to migrate to the UX Design area with a very diverse background.

His initial training was Radio and TV. However, before finishing the course, I already knew that this was not the area she would like to pursue.

So, Gabriela decided to go into graphic design, where he worked for 8 years, but that's not what I wanted either.

Despite the uncertainties, what Gabriela knew is that I liked Design, but I wanted to do something more profound and strategic.

Do you want to know how Gabriela went on her way to UX Design? She has interesting tips for those who want to enter the area! Keep reading!

Gabriela, tell me about your background

I started doing Radio and TV. Still in the course, I realized that I only liked the editing and video part and that the whole routine in this area was not attractive to me. I didn't even get to work in the area practically.

So I ended up going to the graphic design, where I worked for 8 years.

At the last company I worked for I realized that Just developing graphic pieces wasn't making me happy anymore.

First, I thought about migrating to another area within the company itself. As I was assigned to a digital marketing team, I decided to do a postgraduate degree in Marketing Management. It was an attempt to go to a larger area strategic.

In February 2019, I was still halfway through graduate school and ended up leaving this company. Along with that, I realized that marketing still wasn't what I wanted.

I took advantage of the fact that I had a little more time and decided to look for courses in the UX area.

I already had an overview of this area and had become interested in it at a workshop I did in 2016.

I was in a moment of discovering and discovering which area I would follow from that moment on.

Is that how you discovered Aela?

Yes!

I started searching for courses. First, I looked for courses outside the country. Yeah, I'm also thinking about living abroad.

However, I noticed that foreign courses are very expensive and I would spend on average triple or more than I would spend on a UX Design course here in Brazil.

On the other hand, I didn't like the courses I was finding here in Brazil either. Most were intensive, very short, face-to-face courses. They were similar to the UX Design workshop I had attended. I saw then that it would be the same experience.

Until I was shocked by Aela in Instagram!

I started doing a lot of research about Aela. I saw several interviews with students who had migrated to UX Design, I attended the “Migrating to UX/UI Design” Workshop and two weeks after that, registrations opened for Bootcamp MID and I signed up.

What made you feel attracted to the UX Design area?

When I was on the Marketing team, I didn't want someone else to develop the visual part of my projects, because that's something I really like to do.

In UX Design I discovered that I could combine the two things: visual part with strategic part.

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What was the process of searching for a job in UX Design like?

I was looking for a job as a Graphic Designer myself. Because, at the time, I wanted to first focus on studying more about UX before looking for something in that area.

However, I received a lot of “no”. I think it was really the universe conspiring to get me to enter the UX Design area right away.

So, I completed Level 1 of the Bootcamp, I put my entire project in Behance and I've already started looking for vacancies in the UX Design area. When I I started Level 2, I was called for two interviews, but my project at that level wasn't ready yet.

That way, I brought together everything I had done so far: I studied personas, user journeys, and I presented it that way. So I was able to show the step by step of what I had already done.

And it worked out! They saw that I had knowledge about what I was doing and fI was called for both vacancies!

Of those two, I chose MJV and started working on it in October 2019. Barely 4 months after starting the MID Bootcamp, and notice that in the first month I was unable to dedicate myself to my studies, because I was doing a freela.

And those interviews were smooth sailing. In one of them, They asked me if I knew about programming and I was honest, I said I only knew what it took to talk to a developer, but that I didn't understand the programming background.

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How was the process of joining MJV

In April 2019, I had already been in contact with MJV. I have a friend who works there and I set up a conversation with the UX Design Manager. On that occasion, he gave me some tips for migrating to this area.

I talked to him and I even understood what he was saying, but I couldn't guide myself to migrate to UX with just that information.

In October 2019, while studying level 2 of the MID, he opened a vacancy at MJV.

My friend who works there recommended me and I was interviewed by the same manager who had given me the tips. He was surprised by the material I delivered, as I had started studying UX a short time ago, about 4 months ago.

When I joined MJV, I had also received another proposal from a company that also worked as a consultant, but was an e-commerce company.

At first I thought it would be good, because I had already worked with e-commerce. But then I thought: Which of these companies would add more to my life and career? In which of them would I have the chance to develop myself more?

So I decided to go to MJV, which has many clients from different areas. That way, I would have a chance to learn more things.

How is your job at MJV?

I've been working as UX/UI Designer at MJV for 3 weeks. And right off the bat I started a project that had already been immersed with the client. So the first few weeks were intense until I was able to pick up and understand the project.

I had never studied anything about this client's area and, since the immersion had already passed, I had to take all the content and analysis and follow up. I tried to absorb as much information as I could.

I even thought: will it be like this forever?!

But I knew that, although it seemed very complicated at the beginning, it had a lot to do with the moment I was, in a new area, in a new company and on top of that with the project started.

Today, I am able to combine the two things I wanted: the visual part with the strategic part.

What is your biggest challenge today?

The workshops for this new project.

I made it clear that I had never done that. So my managers have already appointed someone to share the table with me, while I'm getting used to this new area and routine.

Since then, two workshops have passed and I've always had someone more experienced sharing the table with me. But next time I believe that I will be able to lead a workshop on my own.

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What are your plans for the future?

I still don't know very well...

But what I'm sure of is that I want to leave the country. First, I want to spend time here, working as a UX Designer and gaining more experience and confidence before making this new change.

I know that here at the company there are opportunities for me to work in other offices that they have in other countries.

What are the tips you would give to someone who wants to migrate to UX Design?

Study and build a portfolio. Because studying alone is useless, you need to really internalize the knowledge and put it into practice, working on the steps.

So, practice a lot on top of all the steps you've been studying. This practice is very important.

Today I know that I made a good choice when migrating to UX Design and choose to work at MJV.