UX Hustle Club #4 : Repackaging your weaknesses

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

As a not-yet-hired designer looking for real-world experience opportunities, I see a lot of weakness when I look at my UX resume. When our first assignment this month was to write down the three biggest UX weaknesses we have, my first thought was “only three?” Maybe you remember what it’s like to be a fledgling in your industry. It’s intimidating. It’s overwhelming. It’s competitive. But I learned that evening that it’s also brimming with possibility and promise.

Weaknesses

Here’s what I wrote down.

• I have no company experience.
• I have little skill in design software, and I’ve only used Sketch.
• I’m pressed for time to expand my career right now.

Sophia, the club facilitator, then led us through tilting these weaknesses to reveal the positives on the other side. If you think being older is a weakness, consider how your past experience means you bring varied and broader perspectives when interacting with users and stakeholders. If you think a lack of technical skill is a…