You Finished Your UX Writing Course. Now What?
Congrats on finishing that course! I hope you learned a lot.
So now you’re totally good to go now, right? No?
Your course probably did a great job of giving you the basics, but there’s so much more to learn. I remember looking at my certificate and thinking, “And… now what?” I wanted to get better, network, and find a job. I wanted to feel like a real UX writer.
Here are five things that helped me in my first year:
1. Follow UX writers on LinkedIn
Put that scrolling habit to good use. Start following influential UX writers and your LinkedIn feed will quickly turn into a daily dose of UX insight.
I’ve found people in this industry to be thoughtful, generous, and entertaining, and their posts don’t disappoint. Start out with people like Andrew Astelford, Laura Costantino, and Merav Levkowitz (duh). See who they like and respond to, and follow those people, too.
2. Find a mentor
Mentor can sound like a heavy word. But mentorship doesn’t have to be a long and involved process. I got a mentor to help me start on my portfolio when I had no experience. We met (online) thrice. It was perfect.
If you’re in Israel, I highly recommend the MicroCoffee mentorship program. But if there isn’t an organized program where you live, reach out on your own. Look around (on LinkedIn, again) for people who live near you, or work in a field you’re interested in, or have written about something that strikes you. Most UX writers remember what it was like to be (recently) starting out.
If you’re going to shoot off a cold email, please, be brief, be specific, and be polite.
3. Go to local or online meet-ups
UX writing communities are popping up around the world, and many host events, whether online, over a beer, or in an office. Find the UX writing community that fits your language or region (or even just your time zone) and sign up.
It can be hard to attend a meet-up when you’re starting out (hey there, imposter syndrome!) but it’s a great way to connect to others. You might even learn something: I’ve attended events on topics like accessibility practices, the ROI of UX writing, and using TikTok for research.
4. Build up your library
Remember reading? Like, actual books?
UX writing is a young discipline, but there are trailblazers who have produced some really helpful books. Clear some space on the bookshelf for your new professional library.
Here are some suggested titles start you off:
Microcopy: The Complete Guide by Kinneret Yifrah
Writing is Designing by Michael J. Metts and Andy Welfle
Strategic Writing for UX by Torrey Podmajersky
5. … and your digital library too!
Oh, the online resources. There are so many, it’s hard to know where to begin. Get ready to go down many a rabbit hole in the name of professional enrichment.
Honestly, just a good Google search will get you pretty far (think “UX writing portfolios for beginners”), but here are some mega-rich resource pages to bookmark:
You might be nervous that there's a lot of information out there. The good news? There’s a lot of information out there! It’s open to anyone who has the drive to become a pretty darn good UX writer. Why not you, too?
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