In this interview, we spoke with Maria Luiza, a student at Bootcamp MID. She told us how she migrated from graphic design to UX Design, passing through several other areas.
In addition, Maria talks a bit about how the Aela community helped her migrate to UX, either through networking and referrals or through the support of the mentoring team.
Check out more about this successful journey of one of our students.
Maria, a pleasure to have you here. Please tell me a little about yourself
I'm Maria Luiza, 33 years old.
I have a degree in graphic design, but I've already gone through the animation, the illustration, the storyboard, and the animated script. I worked for four years as a storyboarder for the cartoon for the TV series and when the pandemic began, back in 2020, I tried to undertake.
I tried to create a startup and, since I was a designer, one of the people who helped us said that I needed to know a lot about user experience because we were going to develop an app.
So, I started studying free content online. But I realized that UX Design isn't something you read an article and learn right off the bat.
At that time, I ended up taking an Aela workshop on the MID and ended up joining the course!
Reading Tip: What is MID?
Did you ever imagine that you would throw yourself headlong into UX Design, study hard and get a job? Was that your will?
At first, I tried to be able to undertake the startup, to be able to make the product.
I confess that at first I was even a little worried. As I said, I have already been through several areas. So I thought “wow, once again I'm going to go back to square one and start something new.”
But as I got involved, I realized that my whole experience was a luggage which added to what I was learning with UX Design. Especially the storytelling part.
For example, when I was learning about personas at MID, this for me is a story that comes to mind. The persona is the main character and the product is the stage that allows that character's actions. I think a little bit like that.
Besides, I realized that it wouldn't happen to just study. I needed to get a job, because starting a startup takes time to make money.
I needed to help my family in some way.
Like the The UX market was well heated, I got my first opportunity — today I'm already having my second one — at the beginning of 2021.
Wow, that was really fast! We hear a lot of promises out there about becoming a UX Designer in 3 months, but it's a lie. In 6 months, being able to migrate is fast as hell! What helped you achieve this result so quickly?
I think the first thing that helped me was the indication.
At the time, my study partner at Aela I was working in a company that was undergoing a spin-off process, that is, a startup was being born from that parent company.
Then, a UX vacancy appeared in this spin-off and this partner of mine recommended me for this opportunity.
At that time I had already finished the project from level zero of the MID, so I already had a good understanding of research, screens, and I had some things from my startup to show.
Another thing, I was very honest in the interview. I made it clear that I was starting out in the area and that I had my startup project as well. But that I was very interested in working to learn.
Video Tip: How to join Big Tech?
I think it's cool to highlight that power of the community, of the relationship. You had a study partner and they kept helping each other. The moment she had a chance, you were the first person she looked to to recommend a job opening.
Yes.
And communicate too. I told her that I was looking for an opportunity in UX.
I needed to work, but it would be complicated to have a job in another area and continue studying UX. So, if I were to get a junior vacancy in the area, I would already combine the useful with the pleasant.
So I think it's important for you to communicate what you're willing to do anyway.
How were you able to structure your studies to be able to prepare and get this first vacancy in UX Design?
Before getting the first opportunity, I was just working with my startup and taking the course. Then I worked for 4 hours and the other 4 hours I dedicated to studying.
It was a period of adjustment. I had a change along the way, and these things happen.
But I was minimally trying to protect my schedule. If there were days when I couldn't study 4 hours, I would study 2. But I made an appointment, a check that I had studied, even if it were just for half an hour, reading an article and trying to absorb some knowledge.
You said to check the list. Was that in a mental way, or were you actually doing it on paper?
I'm crazy about lists and planners. So I have everything written down exactly what I need to do on the day.
I need the feeling that I've crossed out an activity, to know that I've accomplished a goal for the day. That helps me a lot, more on paper than on the computer screen.
I prefer to use a planner, and for that I'm very analog, you know? For me, it's much better to write, not least to remind myself that I have that commitment and also because of the wonderful feeling it is for you to fulfill a task.
Video Tip: How to Plan My Studies?
Do you have any tips for people who aren't used to planning?
I think the first thing is Understand what your best hours are. Do you like to wake up early or not?
I already tried to be a member of the 5 in the morning club, but I can't!
So, understand the schedules, the appointments and go tidying them little by little. Don't put on a bunch of things at the same time.
I've already made that mistake. In January I put a lot of things to do, all cute, but in February it was already a disaster!
So, start small and with what is the most priority.
At that time, for me, the priorities were to complete this stage and to be able to study. So that's all I had. Then, as this became routine, I added more things to the list.
You commented that you put in a lot of activities at once and that was a mistake. How did you recover from this error?
I realized that a lot of the things I had put in in January no longer made sense in February. Things can happen that change the perspective.
In this case, I had to make a move from Salvador to São Paulo, and because of that I was unable to study for 3 weeks. Patience!
Another important thing is understand the reasons why it didn't work out and replan. And take away some of the drama and guilt.
If you failed to comply, what are you going to do from then on?
That's how it works for me, looking at the schedule in a simple way. You could do it, you did it, you didn't, what happened?
Another tip is to write down the reasons for not being able to complete the tasks. Don't just leave an activity pending on the list, because it seems like you've just procrastinated.
But no. Why couldn't you do it? From this, we can do a self-study, a self-knowledge.
Speaking about the studies, how did you manage to hold back anxiety and expectation in the midst of the pandemic?
I have some rituals to help me with that kind of thing. The first is that I don't sit at the table with a cell phone. He has to stay out of my hand.
We have to understand what triggers take our attention away.
I have a lot of trouble with focus. So when my day is over, I need to organize my table for the next day. If not, it's time that I waste cleaning up the place where I'm going to stay.
Another thing that was important: I didn't search for content other than Aela's. I paid the MID, and I did the MID.
I didn't look at other workshops, or content that other people were posting in the community. I felt that the content of the MID was already very good and I didn't need to seek and divide my attention in that regard.
I got a market opening at level zero. So it's really good! I didn't give room for anxiety. I put it in my head that I would be in the MID and I stayed.
I wasn't looking for content other than the MID because otherwise it would be bad.
How did you prepare for the interview? How was the conversation with the company?
From the first opportunity, everything went very smoothly. I spoke with the CEO and CTO, and they asked me several questions about tools that I used, if I was used to working with developers; they asked me to tell me a little about myself and they told me about the company.
I said that I had a bit of experience with developers because I worked with the dev of my startup. Then I knew more or less how it was.
And as I said, I was very honest about where I was and what I was doing. Why was I looking for a job?
I mentioned that I was taking a course, but that I needed to enter the market and that this opportunity had been recommended by a colleague who was also taking the course.
So that gave a strut to get that first vacancy.
Video Tip: Don't Give Those Details in a Job Interview
Cool! Then you entered that vacancy, did your job and today you are getting a second chance. Tell me a bit about how this happened
I learned a lot from that first opportunity, at the startup. But things were happening at a speed that I, as a junior designer, couldn't keep up with.
Another thing, in my interview I said that I wanted to work closer to the product people, precisely because I was learning.
It's just that the product team didn't have other UX people. I was the only UX person inside.
So I didn't have a reference or someone who could show me and teach things in practice.
In addition, this was a time when the startup needed to raise cash, so projects needed to be delivered very quickly. But my reference was how to apply the UX methodology until you defined a problem and investigated the personas. But that wasn't enough for those projects.
Then, I began to receive feedback that said that my theoretical part was very good, but that I had difficulty applying this in practice.
One situation that opened my eyes was on a project that I was leading and they had to call in a Senior UX to help me.
When I started working with this more senior person, I realized what this is like. major! Being with someone more experienced than you, doing things, teaching, showing.
It was at that moment that I realized that I needed to go to a place where there would be more senior people, with more product experience so that I could really develop myself.
Because even though I learned well at this startup, I was feeling very lost in there.
So I started looking for another opportunity.
This is a recurring situation, unfortunately. In fact, companies should first hire someone senior, in a team that is starting out, a lead. Then you can expand and hire other, more junior people.
What did you do to search for a new opportunity?
I had two guardian angels, one of them is called Rick Freitas and the other is called Naima Barbosa [mentors from Bootcamp MID].
When I started receiving the first feedback at the company, it was to them that I ran!
Rick was my mentor for the zero level project, so I already had a closer communication and he helped me.
As I received feedback, even from the Senior UX who worked with me, Rick was sending me various materials, articles to read.
And Naima, I watched her live class. Now I don't remember the topic of the class well, but I remember that she said very specific things about people from within the teams. So I called her to talk and explained everything that was going on.
It was good because she helped me to draw up an action plan to be able to change jobs.
She told me to take it easy because this is a process, not like getting a job overnight.
Then, Naima directed me on how to set up my portfolio, explained to me that I have to place my thoughts and not just the screens. She gave me the tip to set up a presentation with Google Slides. It was great.
At the end of the day, the company I'm in now, the HR that found me on LinkedIn. I didn't get to contact them first. It was really cool!
This power of the community, of other students, students, and mentors is very cool. Very good! And for that second chance, what was the process like? Did you do an interview, test?
I did the test and interview, yes!
The first interview was already with the Product Manager and here's another recommendation for people. It's really good to look at the people and the company that's offering the vacancy. Really get to know.
In this company, I saw that there were many UX people who were already very experienced, with a 10-year career. The Product Manager already had 8 or 9 years of career.
Then I did the interview with him and with someone from the personnel sector (HR) and this conversation was more about getting to know me, why I wanted to quit my current job, what had caught my attention in their vacancy, and so on.
Again, I was a lot sincere. I said that I was a junior designer and that I needed to be close to someone more senior to be able to develop myself. I commented on my feedback, which always praised my theoretical part, but I needed to be able to optimize this on a daily basis, with some support from someone more experienced.
Then they asked me for a test, which was to enter the product, identify a problem and propose a solution. The idea was to execute the entire research stage, how I got to the problem and everything else.
The test lasted three days. I used the product for three days and did the entire research stage, used my storytelling skills and everything else. It was really cool!
After I submitted the test, a really cool thing happened. Five minutes after I submitted the test, I saw that several people from the company visited my LinkedIn profile and started adding me.
The next day, they scheduled a meeting with the entire team that would interact. I did the interview in the morning and in the early afternoon, at 2 p.m., I received the proposal and accepted it!
Then I learned that I joined the company through unanimity. Everyone had enjoyed my test.
And I did everything based on what I learned in the course, at the MID. Everything I learned at Aela.
An interesting point is that at the startup I was in, I needed to deliver everything with agility. In the company I'm in now, they started out as a startup, but now the need is to curb that agility to implement the right product processes.
Because of this, everything I know is being seen as a differential for the company, for its results and for the product.
Reading Tip: LinkedIn For Designers - Tips To Improve Your Profile
Very cool! And what was it that you did in that test that impressed everyone?
I'm sure it was the part of the Storytelling that I told you.
I told the story of the persona as if it were the product talking. Then it went more or less like this: “You know this persona, she does such a thing that she is supposed to do such a thing, it just doesn't work out.”
What I identified in the test was a problem of demeanour. The product is a social network and I identified toxic behavior on the part of some people and my test was based on that.
So, the questions I asked were like: How can we make that person behave better on the platform?
The feedback I received from the team was very positive. Because that was precisely this feature that they were working on.
In other words, in 3 days I was able to identify exactly what the problem was with the product they were working on.
Great tip! How long have you been with this company?
It's been 4 months now in September.
What would you give as a tip for those who are starting out in UX or are looking to migrate to the area? Something you've learned on your journey that you think is important to share
I think it's important to say that it is necessary to have calmness.
I'm not a big believer in that saying that a saddled horse only passes once.
I think it's important to understand your time, your pace, and to have the consistency and discipline to study every day, to do it little by little.
For me, this is something that helps a lot with development, because the opportunities are there. The market is well heated.
Another thing I can say is that, from my experience, it's not just any company that's best to start.
From my experience, I wouldn't recommend a startup for those who are starting out, for those who are a junior. Even more so if you're supposed to be the only UX person in the company.
It's not because the person won't be able to handle it, but for me it was a pain, despite all the learning and good things that happened. On the part of the day-to-day execution, it was not a very good experience.
The routine of a startup is very demanding for a junior person.
I don't think people should leave entering any opening vacancy. But experience also counts. The experience helped you to be more clear about what you wanted and what you didn't want. This helps you grow too.
The best of all worlds is to start with a good company. But that's pretty difficult.
Exact.
That's what you said, da experience. That counts a lot.
Even though I didn't have a very good experience, the startup was the first time I had contact with data analysis, and that's a big difference for me to this day.
Experience teaches and sometimes we only know what we want after we have contact with it.
Going into the final stretch, what is it like to officially work with UX Design and what are your plans for the future?
Today I feel much more undertaken. I really like the product area, not least because I was able to bring a lot of my experience to that area.
Right now, I'm just on a product, I don't storyboard anymore and I don't even have the startup anymore.
I decided to stay in product and make my career in the area. I feel very fulfilled, more than with the other things I've ever worked on.
My plans for the future? I want to continue on product but go to leadership. Maybe take an operations board area.
In my opinion, the product area is the company's backbone, in terms of user experience. So I have this desire to go into management and leadership.
Video Tip: Jobs and Positions in Companies
Very cool that you want to go that way! Don't rush, take your time, because it's even better to go little by little than to want to go to that area very quickly.
Much success to you! Any final message for people?
Don't stop studying! Take it easy, with perseverance!
