31-year-old Ismael Gutierrez was on the hunt for certifications in UX design. After discovering the UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies Front-end Development certificate and the Google UX Design certificate programs and reading the great reviews from other San Diegans who benefited from them, he knew it was the best place to increase his skills as a web developer.
I graduated with a degree in graphic design from Plaque College five years ago and was employed rather quickly after college. Before enrolling in the program, I worked full-time at a digital agency, designing for multiple companies.
I had very little UX knowledge at the time. My college in El Cajon offered just one web design class, which lasted a month, so I felt like I needed to be more skilled in the subject.
Even though I could leverage my graphic design experience to be an asset in the workforce, I knew that if I wanted to grow in the field, I would have to do more to reinforce my skills and gain more knowledge in UX.
That is when I started looking into certification programs that would allow me to learn more within a reasonable amount of time and with a reasonable amount of money. I was happy to find the San Diego Workforce Partnership’s (SDWP) UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies and the Google certificate program. Not only did SDWP help me with my original goal of getting into a program, but they also helped me secure a paid internship at a place where I am not a full-time employee.
When I first enrolled, I knew it would be challenging to balance working full-time with my studies. But I was eager to learn, and the flexibility of remote classes made it manageable. Taking classes at my own pace allowed me to maintain my job while advancing my education. This setup provided the perfect blend of theoretical knowledge and practical application, enabling me to stay productive and efficient in both areas.
The program helped me learn how to work in a fast-paced environment, conduct thorough research and explain my processes effectively. I’ve learned a lot about the research aspects of UX. I’ve gained insights into understanding users, validating data and presenting findings to stakeholders.
My transition into UX felt organic; my career took a significant turn when I landed a paid internship at Rewst, an information software company based in Tampa, Florida. After just six weeks as an intern, Rewst hired me full-time, and I’ve been with the company for five months now.
Working in UX is much different from my previous work. My experience has mostly been with digital agencies, focusing on production work rather than client interaction. Currently, I’m using Figma, Shortcut, and Jira for my design tasks, having previously worked with Envision and Adobe Creative Cloud, and doing a lot more creative work. My work now involves a lot of planning and executing, following and implementing processes. While it might not be as creative, it’s highly functional and has taught me problem-solving skills.
I owe much of my success to the supportive staff at the San Diego Workforce Partnership during my education. Jessi, in particular, helped me navigate all the available resources. The lessons were descriptive, and Marc Hall, one of my instructors at UCSD, provided excellent feedback and taught me a great deal about product design. I ended up receiving many more benefits than I initially expected.
Looking ahead, I aspire to take on more leadership roles and have more autonomy in my work. I’m taking things one day at a time, but I plan to stay with my company for a long time. Being one of their first designers at this startup has been incredibly rewarding and flexible. Landing this job after a six-month search was a big deal for me, and I’m grateful for the responsibility and confidence my company has placed in me.