By Zee Arnold
Zee Arnold, founder of UX Teacher Prep, spills the tea on her incredible journey from a 15-year teaching career to becoming a remote UX Researcher in just 5 months. Join Zee as she shares strate
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The podcast currently has 25 episodes available.
Is the era of remote work really over? Are we officially seeing the end of remote work? Is all hope lost for transitioning teachers who want to work from home? Tune in as we unpack the latest buzz around major companies like Amazon, Boeing, UPS, and Disney, calling their employees back to the office. We’ll explore whether remote corporate roles, especially in UX, are still a viable option for teachers making a career transition. You’ll gain a clear understanding of how hybrid work models are shaping the new landscape and which industries continue to embrace remote work.
*Listen to Episode 19: The Pros and Cons of Remote Work here.
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Learn about the secrets of a successful career transition as I chat with Shaine Frazier, a former New York City Special Education Teacher turned UX and Customer Experience Design expert. Shane shares his journey from classroom discontent to his thriving new role in tech, including the pivotal moments of self-study, LinkedIn networking, and professional certifications that made it all possible. With a background rich in psychology, web design, and entrepreneurship, Shaine reveals how these skills formed the foundation for his career pivot, and how his experience with neurodivergent students parallels UX research. He also shares the significant boost in work-life balance his new role offers.
Don't miss this inspiring episode filled with practical advice for anyone considering a leap from education to the tech world.
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Get in touch with Shaine: Instagram s.d.fraizer and LI: at Shaine Frazier.
Get in touch with Maleeka Catlin on Linkedin.
Bio:
Shaine Fraizer was born and raised in the Bronx. He is former Special Education Teacher with a unique journey from education to web design, to user experience design, cumulating in his current role as a Digital Customer Experience (CX) Manager.
Shaine studied psychology at New York Tech, where he gained early teaching experience as a program facilitator with Changing the Odds, mentoring teens on mental health and positive sexual behavior. This sparked his passion for education.
After earning his degree, Shaine pursued Educational Psychology at Columbia University's Teachers College but soon joined the NYC Teaching Fellows, serving Bronx students for five years. During this time, he ventured into web design, creating platforms for his own short-term rental business and an e-commerce company, Science.Teacher.Mom.
His growing interest in UX design led him to complete Google’s Professional UX Design Certification on Coursera. Combining this knowledge with his web design experience, Shaine secured a role as Digital Customer Experience Manager at AIG.
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Unlock the secrets to a successful career transition with Hilda Naluanga, a senior UX researcher at Xsolla, in our latest episode. Discover how Hilda navigated the fascinating shift from a career development coach in South Africa to becoming a key player in the video game industry. You’ll learn how her passion for design thinking and human-centered approaches led her to pursue an innovative path in UX research, and gain valuable advice for educators eager to break into the tech world.
Explore with us the art of relationship building and effective communication within the realm of UX research. Hilda shares eye-opening insights from her tenure at Meta, including the unexpected need to advocate for UX research, even in large organizations. We'll also touch on the challenges and strategies for maintaining a healthy work-life balance while working remotely with a global team, and the distinct dynamics of large companies compared to startups.
Understand the strategic shift from junior to senior UX researcher as Hilda reflects on her career growth. The conversation highlights the importance of marketing one's skills, proactively seeking opportunities, and translating experiences from other fields into the tech industry's language. Whether you're looking to advance in your current role or pivot to a new field, Hilda's journey offers invaluable lessons on navigating career transitions, understanding business goals, and adapting to various work environments.
The following acronyms were used in this interview:
MAANG: an acronym for the five most prominent tech companies; Meta, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google.
NGO: Non-governmental organization
Connect with Hilda on Linkedin
Email Hilda: [email protected]
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What if your teaching skills could help you land an exciting career in User Experience Research? This season finale will guide educators through the essential skills and methodologies that make them uniquely qualified for a transition into the UX Research space. You'll learn how lesson planning and classroom management are directly applicable to UX research processes, from defining research goals to designing studies and preparing materials like surveys and interview guides.
We'll break down the similarities and differences between teaching and UX research, illustrating how your experience in understanding and empathizing with students can be an invaluable asset in understanding users.
Don't miss this final chapter—it's packed with insights to help you make a seamless transition into tech!
Want to learn more? Listen to episode 2: Teacher Turned UX Researcher: Job Overview and Transferrable Skills
Season 2 kicks off September 3, 2024 with the first episode available then-stay tuned! In the meantime, check out our popular episodes here.
📱Text Me: I love to chat with listeners! Send me a text message with your questions or comments.
Resources:
📱Text Me: I love to chat with listeners! Send me a text message with your questions or comments.
Resources:
What if you could skip the exhausting daily grind, commute less, and transform your work-life balance entirely? That's exactly what happened to me as I transitioned from a traditional teaching role to becoming a Senior UX Researcher working remotely. In this episode of the UX Teacher Prep Podcast, I share my journey, recounting the joy of trading in my hour-plus commute for the freedom to choose my work environment.
Join me as I unpack the pros and cons of remote work. If you’re curious about making the switch to a remote or hybrid role, or just want to explore the potential lifestyle changes it brings, this episode is packed with insights that might just inspire your next career move.
Curious about the UX Research job overview? Listen to this episode
Want to hear why I left teaching after 15 years? Listen here
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In this episode, I unpack the most commonly asked questions in UX Research interviews and offer invaluable insights to help you ace them. Drawing from personal experiences and research, I guide you through key methodologies, the importance of staying current with industry trends, and how to showcase your versatility and commitment to professional growth. This episode equips you with practical advice and example responses tailored specifically for educators stepping into entry-level UX roles.
If you're ready to land that UX Research position and make your career leap smoother, this episode is for you!
What’s a UX Researcher? What does a day in the life look like? Listen here: https://uxteacherpreppodcast.buzzsprout.com/2305399/14532588
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In today's episode, I discuss the teacher shortage and recent teacher stories in the news. The first step to overcoming an obstacle is admitting there is a problem. There is a huge problem with the state of teaching and although it will take time, I believe a solution is possible.
Announcement: Starting in June, the UX Teacher Prep Podcast will be released biweekly. Our next episode will be June 11th.
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In today’s episode, I share the 5 things I wish I knew before transitioning out of the classroom. Knowing these 5 things would’ve eased my anxiety and helped me mentally and logistically prepare for my corporate role in tech. If you're considering leaving the classroom, or in the middle of this life-changing leap, remember you've got an ally. I’m recounting my experience and giving you all the tips and advice I wish I had during my transition.
Check out Episode 2 on Transferrable Skills
Check out Episode 5 on Networking
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Are you a teacher interested in a creative career in UX (User Experience) Design? Let's unwrap the essentials of a portfolio that stands out, not just as a showcase, but as a narrative of your professional journey.
In this episode, I offer tips for building your first UX portfolio and reflect on my early portfolio as a transitioning teacher to my current portfolio as a Senior UX Researcher. I share my lessons learned and practical advice to get started on your UX journey.
You can sign up for a mock interview or portfolio-building session here.
📱Text Me: I love to chat with listeners! Send me a text message with your questions or comments.
Resources:
The podcast currently has 25 episodes available.