💥 How to turn your "non-UX" background is your secret UX weapon
Stop hiding your past experience - start leveraging it to become irreplaceable
👋 Happy Saturday, my dear UX friends, Marina here!
Today, let's help this talented UXer who's wondering how to make their unique background work for them ↴
"…before switching to UX a few years ago, I spent 5 years as a high school English teacher and did some freelance journalism on the side. I love my UX role, but I feel like I blend in with all the other designers who came from more traditional design backgrounds.
My manager recently mentioned that we need to be more strategic about how we position ourselves for growth opportunities, but I'm not sure how to leverage my teaching and writing experience to stand out.
Everyone else on my team seems to have these polished design portfolios and formal design education, while my path has been more unconventional.
I know my background gives me a different perspective, especially with communication and storytelling, but I struggle to articulate this as a competitive advantage in UX. How do I use my background outside of UX to stand out and advance my career? I don't want my past experience to be seen as irrelevant.
Any advice for me?"
Many UXers with fascinating "past lives" and quite a few aren't sure how to leverage those rich experiences.
Here's what most of us get wrong ↴
Trying to downplay or even hide the non-designl backgrounds, thinking that we need to "pass" as lifelong designers.
This is a huge missed opportunity!
Your background outside of UX isn't just relevant - it can be your secret weapon in a field that's becoming increasingly crowded.
Let me be crystal clear:
The most memorable and successful UXers I've mentored are those who strategically integrate their diverse backgrounds into their UX practice.
…and I’ll die on this hill ;)
In fact, your unique combination of experiences makes you irreplaceable in ways that someone with only design skills simply cannot match.
Let's explore how to transform your "unconventional" background from a perceived weakness into your greatest professional strength.
Connecting Your Past to Your UX Future
🌉 The BRIDGE Framework
I've developed this framework specifically for UXers with non-traditional backgrounds (to build meaningful connections between your previous expertise and your UX career)
B: Backstory Audit
Before you can leverage your background, you need to identify its unique strengths.
Your action steps:
List specific skills you mastered in your previous roles (for example for teaching, these could be - curriculum design, explaining complex concepts, assessing comprehension, etc.)
Identify soft skills you developed (patience, adaptability, public speaking)
Note unique knowledge domains you possess (education theory, narrative structure)
Document challenging situations you navigated (and what they taught you)
A former teacher I mentored, realized her experience developing differentiated learning materials for diverse students gave her exceptional user empathy and the ability to design for varying technical comfort levels simultaneously - skills her design-background colleagues struggled with.
R: Reframe as “UX Superpowers”
Now, translate those past experiences into UX-relevant strengths.
Your action steps:
For each skill identified, ask: "How does this make me a better UXer?”
Create clear "translation statements" that connect past roles to UX skills
Identify UX challenges where your unique background would be particularly valuable
A few examples of “translation statements”:
"As a journalist, I learned to identify the heart of a story quickly. This helps me cut through user research data to find the most meaningful patterns."
"Classroom management taught me to design experiences that work for users with competing needs and varying attention spans."
I: Integrate Through Stories
Craft compelling narratives that showcase your unique approach to UX challenges.
Your action steps:
Develop 3-5 concise stories that highlight how your background influenced your UX approach
Structure each story around: Challenge → Unique Approach → Outcome
Practice telling these stories in under 90 seconds
Create a "connection map" showing how your background experiences link to specific UX methodologies
A former chef turned UX designer, created a story about how his kitchen experience shaped his user research: "In a restaurant, you watch for subtle cues - a hesitation before taking a bite, an empty water glass. I apply this observational skills in usability testing, catching moments of user friction that others miss. Last month, this helped me identify an issue with our checkout flow that wasn't showing up in our analytics."
D: Demonstrate, Don't Just Declare
Show your unique value through tangible examples and distinctive methods.
Your action steps:
Develop a signature technique or approach that draws from your background
Create case studies that highlight your distinctive problem-solving approach
Volunteer for projects where your background gives you an edge
Document measurable outcomes from your unique approaches
A former social worker, developed a "Vulnerability Mapping" exercise for user research that drew on social work interviewing techniques. Her approach showed deeper emotional pain points that standard usability testing missed, leading to significant improvements in her company's healthcare app. The technique became her signature contribution to the UX team.
G: Grow Your “Hybrid” Identity
Actively cultivate your professional identity at the intersection of your backgrounds.
Your action steps:
Define your hybrid professional identity in a clear statement
Create content (be it posts, articles or talks) that explores connections between your backgrounds
Join communities related to both your previous field and UX
Identify emerging areas where your combination of skills positions you as a pioneer
A former architect I mentored positioned himself as a "Spatial Experience Designer" specializing in retail UX. He wrote articles connecting architectural principles to digital experiences, spoke at both design and retail conferences, and eventually became his company's go-to expert for their retail clients' digital transformation efforts.
E: Establish Your Expert Position
Build recognition as a specialist with unique insights.
Your action steps:
Identify 1-3 specific UX problems where your background gives you special insight
Create a personal project showcasing your distinctive approach
Propose innovative solutions that leverage your unique perspective
Build relationships with colleagues in your previous field who might need UX expertise
A friend of mine who transitioned from education policy to UX, positioned himself as an expert in EdTech UX. He created several frameworks for evaluating educational product usability based on pedagogical principles, which eventually led to him being selected to lead his company's education vertical.
Your 30-Day Plan
🗓 Week 1 ↴
👉 Complete your “Backstory Audit” and create your first 3 “Reframing Statements”
Schedule 30 minutes daily to work through the audit questions
Share your statements with a trusted colleague for feedback
Refine until each statement feels authentic and compelling
🗓 Week 2 ↴
👉 Develop your “Integration Stories”
Draft one story per day connecting your background to a UX win
Practice telling these stories to a friend outside the industry
Refine until the value is crystal clear to someone unfamiliar with UX
🗓 Week 3 ↴
👉 Create your “Demonstration Assets”
Identify one signature method or approach from your background
Document how you've applied it (or would apply it) to a UX challenge
Create a one-page visual explaining your unique approach
🗓 Week 4 ↴
👉 Begin establishing your “Expert Position”
Write one short article connecting your backgrounds
Update your portfolio and LinkedIn to reflect your hybrid identity
Reach out to one person in your previous field to discuss potential collaborations
Your background isn't something to minimize or apologize for—it's your competitive advantage in a field where distinctive perspectives create exceptional experiences.
See you next Saturday!
P.S. Hit “leave a comment” below and share any questions that came up as you read.
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