Be a T, or wear a skill-set sombrero. Image Credit: Matt Lavoie
Ultimately, what I want to get out of this MA is the potential for a new future. Just a small goal! To that end, I have read many articles, how-tos and opinion pieces about being as attractive as possible to hiring managers. They all kept saying the same thing, “what makes you special?!” which didn’t make much sense to me for a while. Do they want to know my hobbies? In this week’s material, we were introduced to the T-shaped model (Schicker 2022), and suddenly, it all clicked. Of course, every doctor can doctor, every lawyer can lawyer, and every UXer can UX, but what specialist knowledge or skills do I have that could enhance my future team? Duh!
This is a big question. Initially, I see myself specialising in either visual design, usability or content as I have a strong interest in each speciality. Regarding my current skill set, I’d say visual design and content are the areas in which I am strongest, but we are only two weeks into this MA, and I have a lot more to learn! Throughout the course, I will keep what-kind-of-T-am-I floating in the back of my mind because maybe I’ll surprise myself and find joy in something completely unexpected. Additionally, I need to consider the limitations of T-shaped skills and if becoming pi-shaped (McCarthy 2020) might be more appropriate for the current jobs market and my interests as a whole.
References
MCCARTHY, Matthew. 2020. ‘Forget the T — You Want to Become a Pi-Shaped Designer’. Medium [online]. Available at: https://uxdesign.cc/can-we-please-start-reframing-content-design-as-pi-shaped-f6bd0278d183 [accessed 1 Feb 2023].
SCHICKER, Eva. 2022. ‘The Amazing T-Shaped UX Designer’. Medium [online]. Available at: https://evaschicker2012.medium.com/the-amazing-t-shaped-ux-designer-1b19927c9125 [accessed 1 Feb 2023].
German vocabulary of the week
Employable – Beschäftigungsfähig / Arbeitsfähig