The big “R” and how it got that way, PT1
“This is not really happening… you bet your life it is…” — ‘Cornflake Girl’, Tori Amos
Note: this is a frank recollection of my thoughts and feelings on my redundancy and the UX industry as I currently see it — thinking is my own.
Part 1:
Unchartered waters
And thus it was — in January 2024, like so many others who worked in User Experience or Product Design, my position was made redundant.
The big ‘R’ reverberated around my head after the call with my line manager notifying me that my skills were no longer needed.
And for some reason I smiled; I smiled at the awkwardness of the call and the ridiculous nature of its timing.
Some weeks later I was no longer smiling. Some months later I’m now considering a complete career pivot.
The redundancy was so obviously in the post I couldn’t help but find the concept amusing initially; a gallows humour. Projects at my old company had been lulled for a while, and I was trying desperately to apply plasters to a bleeding out sales funnel, providing a brand strategy working in conjunction with my then creative director using my trusty UX skill set. But to no avail.
Having reflected, there was never any room for my UX capabilities; they were never understood — I was a billable consultant and if I wasn’t ensuring an income then my worth was significantly less.
Hindsight is a brilliant crystal clear 20/20, but it taught me to get out when your gut says so, always trust yourself and you owe no one anything. Look after your own interests, be wary of gaslighting, believe in your own abilities and don’t doubt your knowledge. This last point a consistent theme throughout the parts of this thought piece.
***
“‘Tis a scratch…”
I remember walking and talking with a close friend in my home city of Norwich as I reflected on a pretty hard luck year, The big R being the icing on the cake. He said to me, “redundancy is one of those ‘life moments’ you can file alongside buying a house, marriage, having your ex-partner cheat etc. You have to go through it but it shapes you, usually for the better.” At that time, I was quietly confident about dusting myself off and getting back in the saddle with relative haste. Yeehaw and all that.
But some months later I’ve dipped into my savings, the stream of jobs matching my skill set is a trickle and the UX industry is still recovering from the 2023 hangover… or it’s still drunk.
My role was made redundant in January, a time when no one is spending because the money boys and girls have their eyes on the new financial year, cautiously watching world events unfold before moving pieces around. So thanks.
Some have declared the industry broken, but in what way?
Wind the clock back some years to pre-pandemic and you couldn’t move for jobs in user experience, whether it be research or design. I took a little trip down memory lane a few nights ago and scrolled through reams of InMails on LinkedIn from recruiters or companies wanting my attention before now. Now I’m lucky if I get 1 or 2 InMails a month.
So if we’re going to blame anyone let’s blame ourselves.
Let’s not mess around, the UX industry became a bit of a gravy train for a lot of people who heard UX was a lucrative payday. And it was. Bootcamps popped up left and right proclaiming jobs aplenty prospective designers leaving courses with a replica portfolio and a head full of replica dreams: Part-time, full-time, the world is yours.
There became a glut of “designers” identikit in thought and motion, afraid to stray from the bootcamp model that never existed in real life, and afraid to be themselves.
Then someone, somewhere decided to pull the plug and the big flush-out came… Our friends at Facebook, Twitter and Spotify set a tone for other businesses who had spent silly on the magic letters of “U” and “X” which sounded groovy in 2019 and somewhat important - “do the UX and make it good for our customers!”… I’ve heard that before. I’m sure you have too.
The lesson here: be yourself. In thought and design. Who cares if XYZ has a sexier Framer folio. You need to demonstrate yourself, your thinking and what you bring to the table. It’s what makes you an individual. And right now, being an individual will pay out more than following what everyone else is doing. It’s a harder path but if you’re reading this, nodding along, it’s likely you have nothing to lose.
Or sack it all off and go to Aspen.
***
Mirror’s reflection
So like all good authors I got drunk — having nothing to do bar portfolio amendments will do that to a man that determined so much of his personality defined by a career that he spent years cultivating. It took the edge off boredom.
Another lesson: you’re not your job.
After the big R I went into ’survival mode’. I wrote lists of recruiters, collating all my work examples I’d done over the previous year and began hacking the fuck out of my portfolio which badly needed surgery as I got lazy and when you’re in job who can be bothered to work on their portfolio?
Post redundancy I spent a month on fire; mind whirring, lists made, pressure building. Nights were filled full of ‘what ifs’ and a dread of touching my hard earned savings. I didn’t sleep well. I still don’t sleep well.
Doomscrolling LinkedIn daily added to the fury and stress; alot of posts filled with “hang in there”, “the industry is hard to crack right now but it’ll get better”, “stay strong”.
Thanks for the reassuring words y’all, but it’s not helping my sleep nor is it helping my twitchy disposition and I can’t pay rent with air and goodwill.
Hindsight: I should have taken a break, gone away for a bit, stopped fighting and rested. Ultimately, planning my next move, whether it be in UX or not.
It’s where my head’s at now.
Headspace from the strangulation of The big R is absolutely vital, a time to take stock and shake off the pressure. Instead I rode headlong into it and stressed myself out to burnout. And then how do you bounce back if you’re burnt out? How do you apply for roles if you’re feeling exhausted before even typing a key?
Reviewing, standing back, questioning yourself on your trajectory is the most valuable thing you can do. You are your own yardstick. No one will judge you if you say “y’know what all, it’s been a blast but thank you and goodnight.” Walking away might seem like a weak thing to do than sticking at it but it takes more courage to admit you’re done and bow out head high.
Just don’t leave it to burn out.
***
Welcome to the pity party pal
“Laugh and the world laughs with you; weep and you weep alone.” — ’Solitude’ by Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
I’d say the UX hiring heyday is behind us, the industry was rolling around in dough but this probably won’t be seen again like it was pre-pandemic.
Initially, after The big R swung into my life, I went to ground, hit up the recruiters in my network sat back and relied on LinkedIn to bring in the gold; it was great a few years ago so I assumed it would pay dividends like before.
But the nasty sting in the tail was the timing of my redundancy; see above.
Companies are still mindful from 2023 and as far as I can see are reluctant to deal with primarily with recruiters advertising the jobs themselves, those smarties.
The beauty of recruiters in the past was they did all the leg work for you; it benefited them and it benefited you. But now the landscape has changed.
Once the bastion of networking / opportunity I’m finding LinkedIn has lost its edge. It’s filled with posts exclaiming the same thing we all know — the industry is going to take a while to fix, whilst on the other hand you see peers updating their profiles with posts about a new role / promotions…
Pour me a glass and save me a seat at the pity party perleaaaase.
Don’t rely solely on LinkedIn, rely on yourself and people you actually know for advice or leads – it’s back to pinging out raw job apps. It’s tough but try to fill the applications and covering letters full of your personality and it’ll stand shoulders above others who don’t have those soft skills.
Admittedly, that’s like pissing in the wind so…
Go get a haircut, get a manicure, spa time… feel good again.
Then it’s time to re-strategise your life: devise multiple CVs, re-jig your ‘folio, think high-level of what you’ve done in UX from a perspective that’s transferable to other industries. For example, on your CV you’ve written “working on a SaaS development”. Get simplified, turn it into “working on an app for a Local Borough Council”.
De-jargon / de-clutter your CV and you’ll start to pinpoint transferable skills which might help you land a role in a different career if just for a temporary fix.
Upskill, do free courses, spend any excess money you might have on shit that’ll see you through.
If in doubt, ask friends if they can review your skillset to point you in a different direction. The time for change is now.
Sure I’m projecting my own situation but if you’ve been banging your head for months it’s probably time you sought another way. And good luck to you it might open your eyes to something you’ve not considered before.
UX is dead long live UX.
