3 ways I plan to grow my career this year
Hey there! I’m Raika, a Senior UX and Conversation Designer at Amazon. If you’re new here, welcome! You can subscribe to my Secrets to Great UX Design newsletter for weekly insights. I share actionable ways to create great experiences, grow your career and more… for designers and non-designers.
Happy New Year! And a big welcome to all our new subscribers!
As we kick off 2024, I wanted to share some ways I plan to grow my career. Because if you ain't growing, you're... not growing and where’s the fun in that?
There’s lots of advice out there for how to grow, like:
Seek out a mentor
Grow your professional network
Pursue leadership development
Improve communication skills
Further your education
All great ideas. After reflecting with a retro of my career (what I’d do more of, less of, start doing, stop doing, and keep doing) I’ve narrowed mine down to 3 specific goals.
Goal #1 — Become an AI expert
Leveraging AI is the new must for products. No surprise here. LLMs are a key focus area of mine working on Alexa but I want to challenge myself to have a broader expertise. So my first career goal for 2024 is to be an AI design expert. Finding new and creative ways to use AI to solve problems or bring life to products. Being intentional about knowing the landscape and having technical knowledge to help me add value and deliver results.
Measure of Success: Try a minimum of 2 products with AI each month and complete a simple audit, + complete 1 AI course this year
Goal #2 — Create more than I consume
It’s easy to fall into the trap of mindless scrolling and consumption, so my second goal is to create more than I consume. I’ll continue writing. Writing has been a great way for me to clarify my thinking and problem-solve. And sharing my writing helps me build my brand.
I’ve also found that designing outside of work helps me maintain my love for UX. Work has constraints that can wear on you, but fun personal projects are great for developing new skills and staying inspired.
Measure of Success: Write at least 2x a month and design for a minimum of 1 hour each week, time-boxed and just for fun! (Monday or Saturday AM)
Goal #3 — Build relationships
My third goal is about people. In this post-covid world where colleagues live in different cities, I want to be more intentional in building relationships and growing my “network” (both at work and outside of work). I don’t love the word “network” but knowing good people in my field has served me well in multiple ways. I’ve gotten jobs thanks to people I know or used to work with. And when there’s a job opening, I have people to recommend (which becomes increasingly important as I climb higher in my field).
And like they say, we become like the people we surround ourselves with. Countless times it’s been the learning I’ve had from conversations with fellow designers that I’ve taken into meetings and interviews or has spurred new ideas.
Measure of Success: Set up 2 in-person/virtual coffees each month or attend a local event (Creative Mornings, Ladies that UX, AI meetups, etc.)
Remember, as you define your goals for this year, a great goal is SMART:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-based
What are your goals? Leave a comment or reply to this email to share. I’d love to hear yours and see how I can support your growth! 😊
Favorite Quote and Photo of the Week
“Professionals stick to the schedule; amateurs let life get in the way.” ― James Clear, Atomic Habits
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading!
Until next time,
raika
Totally agree – relationships are so much more important than just adding another person on LinkedIn. I’m definitely focusing on quality over quantity this year 🙌
I resonate with the create > consume approach. Writing is such a fantastic way to create (among other methods). I’ve forcefully encouraged myself to seek inspiration in everyday life. :)