Career Meandering
I have bounced around a fair amount in my career to date. I have spent time reflecting on the where, why, and how I have done so.
Definition, Types, and Drivers
You have probably felt it—that nagging sense you can’t ignore. Your interest in a client’s problems is waning. You are tired of fighting legacy product feature creep. That commute isn’t getting any shorter.
You might start looking for a new position at another company. It has a fancy title. It could be a lateral move. Or it could be something more. This could be an opportunity for a career meander.
A career meander is an act of doing something other than what you have been doing thus far in your career.
A career meander is a fundamentally good thing. I have walked away from each of my meanders with a stronger set of skills that I have applied to my next position. That said, embracing meanders….takes practice. And patience.
I was educated in Industrial Design. I have been a Researcher or Designer for the last 15 years. I have worked at consultancies, digital agencies, fortune 50 corporations, and done years of freelance work. Name a vertical and I have either:
a) served a client,
b) worked in-house at, or
c) am interested in it— can you tell me more about it
I have held the following titles: Design Researcher, Freelance Industrial Designer, Human Factors and Ergonomics Senior Researcher, Senior User Experience Designer, Market Research Analyst, Associate User Experience Director, Associate Creative Director, Studio Lead, Design Principal, and Group Design Director.
Why so many?
In part because I both fall in love with a facet of any project, and fall out of love with problems that I feel are solved. This habit has resulted in me being occasionally bored or impatient. I am far from perfect. But I have experience in career meanders.
Reflecting on my career, I believe there are three types of meanders: Inter-Industry, Intra-Industry, and a Complete meander. Each kind of meander has its tradeoffs. These need to be weighed against your professional goals.
The Intra-Industry Meander
In 2009 I found myself in an odd position at Motorola. The company had split, and there was a massive round of layoffs in the design organization. I took the opportunity to switch over from research to UX.
Of course this wasn’t that simple. I had debated making the move for years. I never felt ‘ready.’ I liked learning from my peers in research. I had just gotten married. We had a puppy. I didn’t wear enough black. I had many excuses.
I hope I didn’t offend anyone by ignoring their advice. To be honest I wasn’t confident that my skills would transfer. I wasn’t prepared to be out of my comfort zone. That is, until the research team was downsized.
An inter-industry meander represented the least risk and highest reward at the time. There were many aspects of the role that made it attractive.
The goal was similar. I became a different input into the same process. I was able to leverage domain knowledge while learning new skills. I continued to work for the same company, which was nice. I hate dealing with shitty HR benefit sign up portals.
Inter-Industry meander
About a year after switching into UX I knew I had made the right move. But I was faced with a new concern. I had been working in product for years and wanted to change things up. I craved variety in 2010.
I attended a networking event. It was awkward. These events are all at least a little awkward. Even if you don’t go by yourself. And of course I was rolling solo.
I ran into someone who introduced me to a few people, one of who became my boss about a month later. Soon I became a consultant treading water — working twice the hours of corporate. In industries I knew little to nothing about.
An inter-industry meander represented the highest risk and highest reward at the time. My peers and parents thought I was…a little crazy. There were many aspects of the role that made it attractive to me.
I was ready to leave corporate life. I learned how to manage client expectations. I was applying my skills in another context. I embraced change in operations, compensation, and hours. I learned a lot of lessons quickly.
The Complete Meander
I have yet to undertake a complete meander. These are radical departures from a current career. Examples might include:
Liquidate a 401k to operate a boutique hotel in Fiji.
Open an etsy store for miniature 3d printed 3d scans of loved ones.
Purchase the license to (finally) bring back Z Cavaricci pants.
In 2013, conditions were favorable for a meander. I was burned out designing mobile shopping applications. Brand engagement and conversion rates wasn’t exciting anymore. Travel with a newborn at home could only go on for so long.
I got an email from a recruiter in April.
IBM was opening a design studio in Austin. The challenge was bold: 1) recruit and train 1,000 designers, 2) create a sustainable culture of design, and 3) educate a product organization on design thinking. I would be employee #12.
So I moved my family to Austin — a place I visited once for three days. As far as inter-industry meanders, this was about as disruptive as it could have been.
The nature of the role was different. I was now an educator and mentor. I had designed enterprise software, but not at a company of over 400k. This position required new skills that don’t emerge over night. Like any meander, this new type of position required more effort than a typical job change.
There are some factors that you need to take into account when considering a meander. A decent vacation can overcome a few, but not all. I have listed the five primary drivers (and their counters) below:
BOREDOM
“I am concerned that my skills are atrophying because I am not challenged. It doesn’t help that I am not interested in the project.”
Counter: Master a new tool. Find something about the space to fall in love with.
CURIOSITY
“That other team always looks like they are having fun, plus I love to see what they bring to our pitch meetings.”
Counter: The grass is always greener. Different spaces carry different challenges.
BURNOUT
“The hours are straight killing me. My tolerance for day-to-day challenges is decreasing to the point where I crop dusted a VP’s desk. Again.”
Counter: Talk to your management about hours before bailing. Maybe go home sick this afternoon you look like shit.
SALARY
“I love <insert passion here>. I can’t stop thinking about it but I need to pay off grad school.”
Counter: Income is an important factor. Only you can decide if it outweighs day to day satisfaction.
JEALOUSY
“I see peers from school, and that guy from three jobs ago (seemingly) advancing their careers faster.”
Counter: You aren’t competing with anyone other than yourself — a career isn’t a middle school track meet. Beware perceptions. It’s easy to make things look rad via a social media highlight reel. That ‘director of design narration’ role? It comes with zero direct reports, pressure, and no budget.
If one or more factors apply to you, you may be ready for a meander of some type. If most are applicable, your website/resume ought to be up to date. Hitting all five drivers is an anti-bingo card, and I would recommend a complete meander.
A meander is all about the journey, not the destination
Not all meanders result in a new career. It is all about learning. Switching back and forth from research to design roles provided context for collaboration. I now have increased empathy for each party.
As a design director I now make smarter decisions based on a combination of data and intuition.
I enjoy interviewing candidates that have unorthodox resumes. These tend to be fun people to work alongside. Someone that meanders usually has exciting stories or in-depth knowledge on a topic I know little to nothing about.
A career meander is a good thing — regardless of which driver may apply to you, or which meander type seems like the best fit.
I encourage designers to meander in their careers. Continue to explore opportunities, at any stage in your career. It makes you delightful to work with and funteresting as an individual.