But actually, she pivoted much later in her career. Prior to UX, Jenny spent the best part of two decades in the financial services industry\u2014first in information design, then in project management and marketing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In November 2018, Jenny completed the UX Design Institute\u2019s Professional Diploma in UX Design. In the very same month, she was hired as UX Lead at fintech startup Sustainably. <\/span><\/p>\n So what sparked Jenny\u2019s career change? And how did she make the switch in just four months?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Let\u2019s dive deeper into Jenny\u2019s inspirational story.<\/span><\/p>\n [GET CERTIFIED IN UX]<\/p>\n Take our Professional Diploma in UX Design course<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n In the early years of her career, Jenny worked as an information designer at Standard Life Aberdeen, a global investment company.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Looking back, Jenny notes many similarities between information design and UX\u2014describing it as \u201cUX on paper before UX existed\u201d and \u201cthe perfect 50:50 split of logic and creativity.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This was the early 2000s, however, and UX as we know it today was still very much in its infancy. With little possibility for career progression, Jenny moved into a project management role within the same company. Then, four years after that, she took on a marketing consultant position.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After 17 years at Standard Life Aberdeen, Jenny met her now-husband, a creative director at a digital design agency. A casual conversation about Jenny\u2019s previous role in information design sparked another conversation about UX\u2014and planted the seed for Jenny\u2019s career change.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI started out in information design, which was like UX on paper before UX existed. I loved the job, as it was the perfect 50:50 split of logic and creativity. But unfortunately, there was no career progression, so I side-stepped into a project management role before changing lanes into marketing.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Then I met my husband, who was Creative Director at a digital design agency. When I told him about my old information design job and why I loved it, he said \u2018You should do UX\u2019. I started looking into it and thought \u2018Yes\u2014this is for me!\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n After extensive research into the field, Jenny had her sights set firmly on UX\u2014and she had a solid plan of action.<\/span><\/p>\n First, she would start to incorporate UX into her marketing role as much as she could. Then she would transition internally from marketing to the UX department.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In preparation for the move, the company\u2019s Head of UX suggested Jenny take a UX design course to formalise her skills. So she completed the UX Design Institute\u2019s two-day in-person training course, followed by the <\/span>UX Design Fundamentals<\/span><\/a> online course.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Jenny\u2019s initial studies confirmed that UX was definitely the right path for her, and she was all set for her new UX role at Standard Life Aberdeen. But things didn\u2019t quite go to plan.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As Jenny explains:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, through a combination of factors\u2014including bad timing and a massive restructuring of the company following its buy-out by another company\u2014the offer of a new role in UX that I\u2019d previously negotiated was taken off the table.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n I hung on for as long as I could in my current role at the time, but then the UX Design Institute reached out to tell me about the new diploma course they were launching. I took the opportunity to leave my job and start the course.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n As one door closes, another opens. And so Jenny dove into the Professional Diploma in UX Design.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Although Jenny decided to leave her company and focus solely on the course, note that you don\u2019t need to quit your job in order to complete your UX studies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n All UX Design Institute courses are delivered entirely online at a self-paced schedule\u2014meaning you can fit the course around your job, caregiving responsibilities, and any other commitments you might have. You can dedicate around 5 hours per week to complete the course in 6 months\u2014and take up to 12 months if you need to.<\/span><\/p>\n Did networking help you land a UX job?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n W<\/span>hile I was doing the diploma, I was networking. E<\/span>ven just doing the diploma really opened doors because people were really interested in it. Even seasoned UXers were really, really interested in it<\/span>. <\/span>It was definitely a talking point when I was going to meetups and talking to members of the UX community.<\/span><\/p>\n “E<\/span>ven just doing the diploma really opened doors because people were really interested in it.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n When it came to job hunting it definitely added weight to my application.<\/span> But that makes sense. The university credit-rating and portfolio were definitely important<\/span>\u00a0for the employers. The certification adds weight to your case that you actually know your stuff.<\/span><\/p>\n Jenny completed the UX diploma in November 2018\u2014and landed her first UX job in the very same month. Not only did she get hired remarkably quickly: she also went straight in as a UX Lead. Impressive!<\/span><\/p>\n Jenny effectively realised her career change in the space of four months\u2014a strong testament to her hard work, and to the power of transferable skills, a high-quality UX education, and an industry-recognised diploma.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n First: let\u2019s talk about transferable skills. Jenny may have only officially started learning UX in 2018, but she was developing crucial UX-related skills throughout her career up until that point.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A career in UX requires stellar communication and collaboration, effective problem-solving and critical thinking, strong research and analysis skills, and the ability to manage multiple tasks and projects at once.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Then there\u2019s the matter of stakeholder management\u2014the ability to gather and understand various stakeholder needs, manage expectations, and foster alignment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n All of those essential UX skills are also fundamental to project management, and Jenny had them down pat before she\u2019d even heard of UX design.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So: if you think you\u2019re at a disadvantage because you\u2019re coming from an \u2018unrelated\u2019 professional background, think again. Just like Jenny, your previous studies and\/or work experience likely have more in common with UX than you realise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Read more: <\/i><\/b>Transitioning to a career in UX? Here\u2019s how to reframe your previous work experience and use it to your advantage<\/span><\/i><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n For Jenny, the structure and quality of the UX design course proved crucial.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Thanks to a thorough and up-to-date curriculum, practical project work, support with creating a professional portfolio, and regular feedback from her mentor, Jenny was able to quickly build her UX skill set\u2014and develop the confidence to apply for jobs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n And, because the Professional Diploma in UX Design is <\/span>credit-rated by Glasgow Caledonian University<\/span><\/a>, Jenny had no problem verifying her new skills and positioning herself as a qualified candidate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s another key point to note for any aspiring career-changers reading this: not all UX qualifications and certifications are held in equal regard among employers. Make sure you study with a reputable provider who can issue an industry-recognised certification that employers will take seriously.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [GET CERTIFIED IN PRODUCT DESIGN (UX & UI)]<\/p>\n Enrol now in our Product Design Programme<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n Since completing the UX diploma and landing her first UX role, Jenny\u2019s career has gone from strength to strength.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After three years as UX Lead at fintech startup Sustainably, Jenny co-founded <\/span>Interaktiv Studio<\/span><\/a>\u2014a boutique UX\/UI design agency where she works as a UX Consultant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Not only is Jenny an extremely successful designer and entrepreneur. She\u2019s also a highly engaged leader in the UX community. You can find her speaking at industry events, serving on various panels, mentoring and coaching aspiring designers, and advocating for social good.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Jenny is also a lifelong learner, continuously striving to expand her skill set and broaden her horizons. After obtaining her UX diploma, she has continued to study with the UX Design Institute.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n She completed her <\/span>Professional Certificate in UI Design<\/span><\/a> in 2020, and in October 2021, obtained her <\/span>Certificate in Software and Coding Fundamentals for UX<\/span><\/a>. Most recently, in 2023, Jenny got her <\/span>Professional Certificate in Content Design<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nFrom project management to UX: where it all began<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-content\/\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Jenny-Bjorkman-1024x601.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nSetting the wheels in motion with a UX design course<\/strong><\/h2>\n
From UX student to UX Lead in the space of 4 months: the power of transferable skills and a credible diploma<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Transferable skills are your superpower\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
A high-quality course and a credible certification can make all the difference<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The present-day: a UX career going from strength to strength\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n