A Creative Consultant’s Tale
Transition, Growth and a Bit of Wisdom
Part 1
As I reflect on my past five years as a user experience (UX) consultant and all the years I’ve worked in the design industry, I realize that I’ve transitioned, grown, and gained a bit of wisdom that’s worth consideration. Over the years, I’ve collected a number of notable lessons that have shaped my perspective as a consultant and creative professional. Some were enjoyable, some not so much, but all were constructive. For the most part. Regardless, all these experiences were meaningful in their own way and brought me to where I am today.
So, where am I today? I’d say I’m in a rather ideal situation, professionally. Over the past five years, I’ve had a consistent sense of demand and appreciation for my work. Even better, I’ve had a consistent sense of stimulation for the work I’m doing. This is very important to me and I know it’s hard to come by. How do I know?
Cue the Flashback
There was a time, way back in 2015, when I had to look for work on a regular basis and wasn’t aware of many places I could find it. I was living what I considered the quintessential life of a young creative professional in Atlanta. I was bouncing from project to project in a network of startups, ad agencies, and small design companies. I was always optimistic the next job would be right around the corner, even when that corner lasted a month or two. I had a solid network, extensive education, a respectable portfolio, and was good at tracking job leads. With this, I managed, but I now realize that’s all I was really doing. Managing.
In retrospect, I see that I was stuck in a rut and mindset that many creative professionals get trapped in. I was an idea that I’d only be happy working in the type of environment that’s associated with the ‘hip’ startup or creative agency. You know, the one where everyone’s wearing ironic t-shirts and playing foosball between work hours. That kind of place. I also had this idea that I’d only be happy working on products that would be popular with people like me. You know, the early model millennial wearing the ironic t-shirt. That kind of guy.
My perception of older and more conventional institutions was bleak. Beige cubicles filled with unhappy people dressed corporate casual. I was sure it could not be the type of environment or work I’d find inspiring. I wasn’t sure if these institutions even had much need or appreciation for my skills anyway. I did not want to work for the proverbial ‘man’ and that’s all there was to it. With this, I carried on with the startup circuit and hoped I’d eventually receive a full-time offer. Then a different type of opportunity came knocking.
Time for Transition
In the summer of 2015, I was nearing the end of a project with one of the design companies that kept me afloat. I was getting ready to look for a new gig among the usual suspects when I was approached by an agency tasked with finding contractors for one of the nation’s oldest and largest consulting firms. I didn’t really know much about this company at the time. I vaguely knew they had a lot of government defense contracts and one rather infamous contractor who currently resides in Moscow. I had always been fascinated with defense and security, so I asked them to tell me more.
While I was generally intrigued by the job, I also had concerns that it might be the bland picture of corporate life I depicted earlier. The agency assured me it was not and explained that this firm, along with many older institutions, created environments that would foster creative work and attract a younger generation of professionals. They educated me on the various innovation labs and incubators that were coming to fruition. With this, I began to warm up to the idea of trading in my ironic t-shirt for a collared button-up. Before doing that though, I would have to actually get the job.
Actually Getting the Job
The interview process for this consulting role was mostly what I was used to, aside from the additional hoops one must jump through to get security clearance. The project lead had a great affinity for user experience and a progressive vision on product development. She would lead one of the firm’s first projects that incorporated UX professionals and an Agile methodology. Because I had spent the few years prior working in an Agile framework, I felt quite comfortable in these interviews.
The clearance process was a bit more involved than a standard background check. I was subject to a full background investigation that would vet my entire history with the law. Even my years as a minor. They also needed to ask a series of questions pertaining to family and friends of mine who were not born in the United States. While my past isn’t squeaky clean, there was nothing they felt was prohibitive of me getting clearance. Nor did they think I had any relationships that could be compromising. I was given the green light and got the job.
Let’s Get to Work
After being onboarded, the team and I got to the task at hand. The project was to create an international travel application for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The app would facilitate all the general processes involved in making travel arrangements along with the specific needs of CDC personnel. Processes such as getting security clearance, vaccinations, passports, visas, and so forth. The desire was for this system to be vastly more efficient and user-friendly than the one that currently existed. This wasn’t a very high bar because there currently was no system. At least no digital one. Additionally, the application had to be extremely lightweight so it could perform in areas of the world that have scarce internet connectivity.
Because there was really no predecessor to this application, we had to learn a great deal directly from the employees of this department. There were many documents, archives, and processes that only existed in print and analog form. It would take a considerable investigation to put all these pieces together in a new digital system. Luckily, we set up an arrangement that had our team embedded at the CDC.
It’s a great advantage to have close and consistent access to the end-users, especially on projects of this complexity and size. It’s just not feasible to have a meeting for every question that develops during the research process. It’s also not realistic to think that every detail would arise during any arrangement of meetings.
This experience gave me a great appreciation for a shadowing research methodology that I still revere today. I find this approach yields more accurate research findings than conventional methods. It’s hard to get a truly realistic depiction of certain processes during meetings with rehearsed demonstrations. The time is limited, the environment is formal, and the format is not as conversational. Shadowing allows one to witness these processes in their organic environment with a more casual pace and conversation. Doing so often uncovers a greater number of details that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.
The work environment was not as physically relaxed as my former jobs. However, the pace of the work was more relaxed too. I’m not saying the work was less complicated. I’m saying that it was more comfortable. Large timeworn companies tend to move a bit slower than their smaller counterparts. It’s like the difference between riding on a cruise ship versus a speedboat. The cruise ship may not be as fast and nimble, but it is more stable and a far less bumpy ride.
The job carried on for nearly a year and was going quite well. I had conducted extensive research that precipitated effective prototypes for development. As mentioned, I felt very comfortable with the role and pace of the work. However, I eventually learned not to get too comfortable.
Because this was my first contract of this sort, I was under the impression that I’d likely be offered a full-time position if I did a good job. This is what I was generally hearing from the agency, so I thought it was just that simple. I thought of the contract as an audition of sorts. To my dismay, it was not at all that simple.
Reality Check
In retrospect, I was a bit naive and unfamiliar with how many contracts end. The reality is that, regardless of one’s performance, there must be a variety of factors that align for a contractor to be brought on full-time. There must be the budget, workload, and indefinite need for a company to really consider converting a contractor to a permanent role.
Because I was not accustomed to this, I was rather upset to be let go. I saw it as failing the audition or being betrayed by those who told me I was doing a good job. The reality is that the contract was simply over and there was no more need for my services. I did a good job and now the job was over. No hard feelings. It was just business.
This experience taught me how to manage expectations in the world of contracting. In the early relationship between the contractor and agency, there is often an abundance of confidence that every party involved is going to get the best possible outcome from the arrangement. It’s a natural human reaction from deals being made and moving forward. Everything is new and exciting. Enjoy it and be positive. Then be prepared for whatever’s next.
Unfortunately, I had not prepared for what came next and did not have many prospects lined up. With what I know today, I would have been much more proactive. I would have been speaking with other prospective employers months before the contract ended. I would have also urged the agency to be more proactive and direct with me. Because I didn’t, I was on the consultant bench for about two months before settling into my next role.
Enter Synergis
While on this hiatus, I was approached by a variety of staffing agencies, including Synergis. They seemed to have a good understanding of the roles I was best suited for. Many other agencies would push me on just about anything that vaguely resembles the type of work I do. I’ve been approached by agencies claiming that my UX and front-end experience would be perfect for certain roles. Then I’d wind up in interviews for highly technical engineering positions. That was not the case with Synergis. They were more familiar with the type of hybrid designer I’d consider myself to be. They also had a few opportunities I found particularly interesting.
One of the roles was for a UX lead with a large energy conglomerate based in Atlanta. Here, I would work on many applications involved in the company’s customer-facing and internal operations. The other was a UX position for a credit monitoring and scoring company. In this role, I would be devoted to designing a single application for their cyber security division. Both had their unique and interesting features. Both also had their own rigorous and competitive interviews. Again, I would be subjected to a series of questions, tests, and clearance procedures that I would plainly describe as thorough. Fortunately, it would all pay off and lead me to where I am today.
So, where am I today? I thought I might string you along a bit longer before revealing this and which job I ended up getting. There’s a bit more story to tell along with a few twists, turns, and lessons you might appreciate. For now, I will tell you that I’m still with Synergis, I’m in one of these roles and I’m very happy. I’ve transitioned from a starving digital artist to a gainfully employed creative. I’m over the startup culture and ironic t-shirts. I’m wearing the collared button-up and think it looks great, thank you very much. From here on out, it’s time for growth and a bit of wisdom. I look forward to sharing this and more in Part 2 of A Creative Consultant’s Tale.
Part 2
Welcome back to A Creative Consultant’s Tale. As you may recall from Part 1 of this series, I was engaged in some competitive interviews for two different opportunities. Both were senior user experience (UX) roles. One for an energy conglomerate and the other for a credit monitoring company. As I mentioned, one of these interviews would result in the job I have today. I had learned my lesson on how consulting contracts often end. I had also gone through my professional transition and promised you some growth and a bit of wisdom. So, let’s do that.
The Interviews
All companies are in different stages of digital transformation, so their adoption of UX is varied. With this, their interviews are also varied. Late adopters of UX may not have a concise idea of how it fits in their operation. Their interviews are mostly conversations on your background, methods, and proficiency. They are hoping to learn something from you as a consultant. So, you must be able to articulate the value of your skills in a variety of ways they can understand.
Then there are companies with a more advanced application of UX in place. They also want to know your holistic approach to the job and what you might be able to teach them. In addition, there are likely some tests and possibly a bit of homework. Overall, they will have a more definitive idea of what they’re looking for.
I experienced both types of interviews with these companies. Which company had which type is not important. What is important is that both interviews went very well, and one led me to where I am today.
Which Job Did I Get?
When all was said and done, the energy conglomerate decided I was a close second. They said they would keep me in mind for future roles, which is usually just a nice way to say, “better luck next time.” Fortunately, I had already received an offer from the credit monitoring company. Why not lead with this good news? I was keeping it in my back pocket to interject a lesson.
Sometimes, you might have multiple offers to choose from. It would be nice if every hiring manager told you their decision at once, but that will probably never happen. I was thrilled to receive the credit company’s offer and was seriously considering it. Still, I wanted to hear what the energy conglomerate had to say before deciding. I could have had more than one offer. Wouldn’t that be a nice position to be in?
Before Deciding
I needed some advice on how to handle the situation. I didn’t want to tell either company something to the effect of, “I might go to the dance with you, but I want to see who else asks me first.” That seems rude and they might move on if I made them wait too long. I thought it would be even ruder to accept their offer and then back out for another. I didn’t want to burn any bridges.
My Synergis recruiter and I came up with the following strategy: I would ask the credit company for a few days to respond and she would press the energy conglomerate for their answer. Again, I wanted to have all my options on the table. I also had to consider the commute for these roles. One was as short as ten minutes and the other could take nearly two hours. I think anyone familiar with Atlanta traffic can appreciate that.
Alas, the energy conglomerate made my choice much simpler by not offering me the job. With that, I would embark on a very far commute into the world of cybersecurity. The commute was worth it though. In this role, I received an experience and education that I’m very grateful for today.
Let’s Get Back to Work
The job was to design an application that would facilitate the entire cybersecurity operation. They desired a system that enabled their different security divisions to intercommunicate and manage tasks in a manner that followed their rigorous protocol. The idea was to create their own unique task management system. One outfitted with many custom features ideal for the task of dealing with threats. So essentially, a threat management system.
Designing such a system would require considerable research. It would also require considerable privilege. I had to be able to interact with each siloed division in ways that most others were not allowed to. This scope required me to have an elevated level of clearance that gave me a view of the entire operation.
The Research
In Part 1 of this series, I suggested that a shadowing research methodology was pivotal for projects of this scope and complexity. This case would be no exception. However, I would not have nearly as much access to the end-users as I did with previous jobs. This was simply due to the demanding nature of their occupation. This was not the type of environment where I could casually drop in on people for a chat. I would have to develop a more structured channel of communication.
I arranged a series of one-on-one interviews with multiple members of each division. If possible, I didn’t want the sessions to take more than an hour. This provided a relatively consistent feed of the information I needed without getting in the way. It also challenged me to refine my interview process for maximum effectiveness.
A single hour goes by in a flash when covering such technical processes. If you don’t prepare well, the session could end before you feel it’s really begun. Try to know as much as possible about your subject and their role before your first session. Determine the most relevant questions so you will receive the most relevant answers. Structure your questions and how you ask them in a way that builds a constructive discussion. Also, have a few tricks to keep people on track. Think of this process as an investigation of sorts. An Information Investigation.
The Right Place
For several months, I meticulously gathered bits and pieces of information while iterating a prototype for this threat management system. I spent countless hours discussing intelligence, forensics, countermeasures, and other security-related disciplines. Every morning, I attended an intelligence brief. Every day I learned a new aspect of this operation and the dubious world it’s up against.
Meanwhile, my contract’s end date was approaching. Overall, the job was going well, but there was still considerable work to be done. The company was not at all disappointed by this. They expressed great appreciation for my work. They also expressed a realization of what an undertaking this application would be. They seemed to be questioning if they were ready to develop and integrate such a system.
The Wrong Time
Regardless of this apprehension, many colleagues felt there was a good possibility my contract would be extended. I appreciated the optimism, but as I learned from my previous contract, a good possibility is not a sure thing. Knowing this, I started a dialogue with my Synergis recruiter a month before the contract’s end date. I wanted to have several other prospects lined up in case my contract was not renewed. I’m glad I did.
As my end date approached, the credit monitoring company ultimately decided it was not the right time to pursue this application. It seemed there were more pressing matters that would require the company’s utmost attention. There were no hard feelings; in fact, many pleasantries during my final weeks. I was assured I did an excellent job and would be considered if they decided to recommission the threat management system.
So, Where am I Today?
At this point, you might be a little confused. After all, I did say the two interviews detailed earlier would lead to where I am today? Yet, I only got one of the offers and was just let go from that role. How does that work? Because I eventually got both the jobs. I was keeping that in my back pocket to interject another lesson.
Sometimes, when a potential employer says they’ll keep you in mind for future roles, they really mean it. The energy conglomerate that once considered me a close second was now considering me their first choice for a new opening. I didn’t even have to interview again. They were already convinced. Fortunately, this was right around the time my contract with the credit monitoring company was ending. I was able to transition from one job to the next with almost no downtime.
So, that’s where I am today. It’s actually where I’ve been for three years now. With this energy conglomerate, I have designed applications for its customer service, internal operations, energy optimization, and more. It’s not exactly the “startup life,” but I’m way over that. In fact, I like to think this organization was one of the coolest startups around a hundred years ago.
After three years, I’m still very fond of the job. I genuinely appreciate the many innovative projects I get to work on. The variety keeps the work interesting and my enthusiasm high. In a way, the job has never really stopped feeling new. Yet, the wonderful relationships I’ve established here feel like they’ve existed for ages. My colleagues and I have a great rapport that’s pleasant, constructive, and honest. I receive ample validation and inspiration from our leadership. I’m one of the lucky people who can honestly say they love their job. I’m always growing as a creative professional and have gained a bit of wisdom that’s worth consideration.