A model for UX Career growth

Stumbled upon a blog post from Leah Buley (Adaptive Path) sharing a model for UX career growth. In true co-creation spirit, I added a few details as I believe there are more ways to Rome for us UX proffessionals.

 

 
The updated model shows two main paths, one being the general management perspective, which is a possible UX career path as a result of growth in general management and organizational skills. For example, people responsible for the management of a multi-disciplinary group of professionals. The other path is the professional specialist perspective which is the result of growth in professional expertise and skills within a specific capability. For example, people responsible for the management of a group of (UX) specialists.

 

In both career path, you are climbing up the leadership ladder, but with different focus and possible end goal. Of course, the paths are not always straight and jumping from right to left or viceversa happens, but I guess that is all a part of our UX career journey.

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Comments

[Mehera O'Brien]

Very cool, Cecilia. We have two paths at AKQA. Creative Director and "guru," which the specialist path you mention. But sometimes I have doubts about if this set up works as it confuses some people in the organization and I'm left wondering if I over-complicated things with that structure. So this is awesome to see. Makes me feel a bit more confident in some of what I preach around the office. Which we all need sometimes. :)

[Cecilia Brenner]

At Philips Design, we also have kind of the same paths, one being Creative director for a specific domain, leading a multi-disciplinary group. The other being a Speciality Creative director leading professionals with a specific competence cross domains.

Keep on preaching :)