From City Planning to UX Design: My Story of Career Change
As a recent graduate from one of the best universities in Turkey, I knew that I had a challenging road ahead of me as a city planner. I had been the first in my family to go to university, and I was determined to make the most of my education. I had experiences in both academical studies as researcher and also private companies as city planner. However, as I began to delve deeper into the world of city planning, I started to realize that it wasn’t the right fit for me.
For one thing, the workload in this field was intense. As a city planner, you often have to work late into the night and on weekends, with little time for a personal life. And even if you’re able to find a job, it’s often a low-paying one that doesn’t offer much room for advancement. Add to that the constant pressure from teachers and the heavy criticism that comes with the territory, and it’s easy to see why I started to lose my passion for the profession.
But as I started to think about what I could do instead, I remembered all the design work I had done throughout my city planning degree. I had always enjoyed using programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects, and I even had an Instagram account where I shared my digital illustrations as a hobby. So when people around me suggested that I should look into UX design, I decided to give it a try.
I started educating myself on the subject, and the more I learned, the more I realized that it was a field that truly resonated with me. It combined my passion for design with my desire to create meaningful solutions for real-world problems, and I could see myself building a rewarding career in this field.
So, after much contemplation and self-reflection, I made the difficult decision to switch careers. It wasn’t an easy choice, but I knew that it was the right one for me. And as I embark on this new path, I feel excited and motivated to make the most of it.
I’m happy to report that, as a result of all the hard work and education I put into this transition, I recently landed my first job as a UX designer! I’m still in the early stages of my career, but I’m excited to see where this path takes me.
I hope that by sharing my story, I can inspire others to pursue their passions and follow their dreams, no matter how difficult it may seem. We all have the power to shape our own destinies, and it’s never too late to make a change.
If you’re interested in following along on my journey, please feel free to follow me on Medium to stay updated on my experiences as a UX designer. I’ll be sharing more about how I found this job and what my first experiences have been like, so stay tuned!
Thanks for reading and I hope you’ll join me on this exciting new journey.
