After finishing my MA in December 2023, the following year I needed some consistency, some safety, and some breathing room after an intense experience not only doing a 40-hour week on the course, working 15-20 hours on top of that, and also juggling being a human being. I was an auntie, a best friend, a bridesmaid, a girlfriend, a daughter; all these roles needed me, and then I was bereaved, just 8 weeks before the submission of my MA my Dad suddenly passed away from a heart attack. He was just 68 years old.
So, 2024 became a year where I needed some breathing room and a comfort blanket; although I learned that really I’m a glutten for punishment, and I ended up over-committing to people and things again (not a surprise, my closest friends would say!).
Now 2025 is here, and I’m done with needing professional space. I want to grip 2025 in my hands and turn it into the year where I feel successful again. As a product of my generation and upbringing, rightly or wrongly I do define myself with my career, and feel uneasy when I am not thriving in my work environment, so I need that back.
But what am I looking for?
What a great question. January was meant to be dedicated to solving this existential question. For, you see, I feel that I am a little Jack Of All Trades.
My Masters degree gave us space to learn as much from the university as possible, with different skills workshops, technicians, classes etc. So whilst we learned the theory, the methods and the practicalities of UX research and design, I attended an introduction to lithography, coded an Arduino, worked in a photo studio, passed the Illustrator ACP course. In my previous career, I spent 10 years working in design consultancies, learning from a bunch of creative people how to prototype, pull together mock-ups, try things out, and to handle people and projects with ease. I used to teach the junior employees, and now I love working with the MA UX students. I am on two committees, to bring forth impactful change in their relevant areas. And I have years of crafting side-hobbies (some of which are actually complete!). I can sew/knit/embroider (just about), I have a watercolour set and a scrapbook set. I design my own birthday and greetings cards. Pretty much anything creative, or working with people collaboratively, I find actually a mindful and empowering process to engage within.
So sure, I’ve got a selection of hard and soft skills, I don’t think I’m unemployable, but because of the slightly wider variety of skills, and the vast array opportunities out in the world, I’m sat infront of the crossroads, unable to figure out how to decide which way to go.
The job market, by my reading, is so wholly competitive and cut throat that I feel lost. The advice is to tailor your CV and portfolio to the job you want to get, and I agree that isn’t a bad starting point. However, I’ve also seen so many times that employers aren’t interested in who you are as a human. Take off your hobbies from your CV, no-one wants to know what you do after 5pm. Don’t waste space actually being a human being, its not relevant to the job role.
I disagree.
My extra-curricular hobbies define me just as much as my professional job title, and they demonstrate I can be flexible, learn new skills, engage with different situations comfortably, and just maybe, might help some day on a project.
So yes, I’m at a cross-roads: I love the people-centric thought driven area of creative/organisational strategy, and I also love the creative, hands on area of user research. So I need a CV and portfolio that showcases I can do both of these things, convinces hiring managers I am dedicated and skilled and just enough of a good idea that they might want to meet me, or even hire me.
I haven’t a clue where to start.
Answers on a postcard?
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