Prior to Thinkful, Annie was working as an Accountant. Now, after completing UX/UI Design, she’s working full-time as a UX/UI Designer in Colorado. We asked about her experience learning a new skill with an online bootcamp and switching careers.
What inspired you to learn UX Design?
Before working in UX Design I was in accounting. While it was a great field to be in, it never felt like the right fit. I wasn’t excited about the growth opportunities the career provided. So a few years into it I made the commitment to pursue a career I’m passionate about.
I’ve always been deeply invested in artistic opportunities, so combining my passions with my business skills made UX Design the perfect fit. I haven’t looked back since.
Why did you end up enrolling with Thinkful?
While accounting was a great career, it never gave me a fulfilled feeling. I didn’t get excited about the professional growth opportunities in the field. I think I always kind of new it didn’t fit but I didn’t know what to do.
Finally, I decided to make a change and pursue the career and life I wanted. I’ve always been a creative person, fueled by artistic endeavors, so I began looking into careers that encompassed those passions and my strong work and business skills. That was where I found this amazing path.
What was your favorite part of the curriculum?
My favorite thing was the exposure to so many powerful design tools. From Adobe Suite to Sketch to online resources like InVision, it was so fun to learn these tools.
What’s the most challenging part of the UX/UI Design curriculum?
It’s a toss up between the stress of some of the front-end development tasks — especially the CodeWars assignments — and the anxiety of the job application process.
Walk me through your favorite project. What was it and what was your process?
I love my work on The Hungry Pear, which was the Paycrave: Mobile App project. It was my first project in the program and from concept development through prototyping, I’m very proud of all of the hills I overcame to create a great product. Using my resources from Thinkful and feedback from Emma, my wonderful mentor, I was able to create an app that others have told me should be made into a real product :) .
What are you most excited for in your new role?
The growth opportunities! I think it’s true with everything that it’s one thing to learn about something and another thing to get hands on experience so I look forward to all of the ways my new role is going to = help me become a better designer and product team member.
Did you find that Thinkful offered a good amount of support throughout your program?
My mentor was amazing. We connected well, she was always very engaging, supportive, and challenging.
What was your job interview process like? Do you feel like the skills you learned prepared you adequately?
The process was frustrating, the anxiety of it is definitely difficult. But as long as you keep moving forward and keep you head up it’s going to work out. I definitely feel well prepared. The design program helped me change my entire career!