Design CareerAug 13, 2018
IBMeyebeemer

Will the nature of my current work hurt me in the long run?

I’m currently working as a designer in a division of IBM that is technically “sales support.” that is, we work with sellers and clients to create prototypes/proofs of concept utilizing IBM technology and supporting material like animations, infographics etc. It’s a really cool and fun job, I get to work on a lot of really interesting design problems IA-wise and I have a lot of freedom with visual design. But I don’t plan on staying here forever since my girl and I kinda plan on moving when she graduates in a year or two, and beyond talking with stakeholders and utilizing personas and previously done design thinking sessions, I do virtually no research. On top of that, the large majority of projects, due to their nature, are incomplete, have whole sections that we just create a face without expanding beyond UI, and stakeholders don’t care about usability beyond necessity. I think this job has really contributed to my visual design skills and knowledge of design thinking, and I’ve basically mastered starting up a design project, but I never see a project to the end, rarely work on products that will actually be used beyond initial high-fid design/prototype phase, and we really only strive to make the sale before finishing. Now obviously I’m looking at the work I do in this post pessimistically but in reality I love it and I’m sure I could spin in to sound a lot better in an interview. It’s probably the best option I have in my current city job-wise regarding pay and whether I want to keep future job prospects within high-profile tech companies, and it’s my first job out of college, but I’m afraid that the sheer nature of the work will make me less valuable to design teams working on actual product or those who do “real” UX. Any thoughts?

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Comcast keysersözæ Aug 13, 2018

Every job is a stepping stone to the next. You will have learned and will learn valuable information that will make your next contribution possible. Don't sweat it.

Google brWn75 Aug 13, 2018

This is an endless dilemma in this industry

Google magatama Aug 13, 2018

No

Lero Labs lyVd32 Aug 13, 2018

I think your job is a good stepping stone towards developing great UX for enterprise start ups

IBM eyebeemer OP Aug 14, 2018

Thanks for the reassuring comments y’all, definitely less worried.

Microsoft shatner.me Jan 15, 2019

Someone will have a take a chance on you since you haven't delivered product. Make it clear that NOT delivering product is why you are looking.