Navigating the intricacies of Dubai's job market

‍TL;DR‍

Driven by her solution-oriented mindset, transitioning from visual design to product design felt like a natural progression for Sreelakshmi. Discovering ownpath was a game-changer. Despite the time zone challenges she faced being in Dubai, ownpath’s personalised live sessions helped her stay on track.

The portfolio review sessions and interview prep during her job search were invaluable, especially tailored to fit Dubai's unique market. Now at Edenred, Sreelakshmi is eager to apply her learnings about design and psychology to usability testing, aiming for strategic roles like VP of Product.

Her advice for new designers? Be kind to yourself, focus on learning, and ditch the self-doubt.

This is her story: 

I have always had a problem-solving mindset, so transitioning from visual design to product design was a natural choice.

Many of my friends were already involved in product design, and talking to them made me realise the need to incorporate this core instinct into my career as well. After relocating to Dubai, I secured a position as a UI/UX Designer and decided to deepen my knowledge in this field. That's when I discovered ownpath.

I was already searching for a thorough and detailed program, and what sealed the deal for me was ownpath's offering of personalised live sessions, despite the challenge of being in a different time zone and balancing my work schedule. Access to session recordings allowed me to review content at my own pace. Despite the timezone difference, the ownpath team was incredibly supportive and accommodating, providing one-on-one sessions whenever I needed assistance with my projects.

My sessions with the mentors were incredibly informative, particularly Shivani's sessions on Psychology in Design, which opened my eyes to new perspectives. Inspired by this, I pursued a separate behavioural design course after completing the fellowship. Akshay's classes on Interaction Design were also great, prompting me to delve deeper into both subjects through additional reading. ownpath not only honed my technical skills but also kept me updated on industry trends and best practices in design. I now prioritise the significance of psychology in my work as a designer.

Job hunting can be tough, and I often found myself grappling with self-doubt. However, the unwavering support and encouragement from the ownpath team were instrumental in keeping me motivated. Aparna (Program Manager at ownpath) in particular, consistently pushed me to keep going and arranged portfolio reviews and interview prep sessions with various mentors to ensure I was well-prepared for opportunities. A reassuring review session with Shreyas (Founder at ownpath) further bolstered my confidence. I was open to them about my challenges, and they responded with continued assistance.

The ownpath team and mentors went above and beyond to research the intricacies of the Dubai job market, which is fairly different from India.

Recognising the significance of "Wasta" or referrals in Dubai, they took the time to understand the challenges I faced during my job search and customised their mentoring to align with my unique circumstances and requirements. I really doubt if any other fellowships or online courses would have offered me this level of personalised support.

I eventually landed a job at Edenred as a Junior Product Designer. While I had initially applied for an internship, they were so impressed with the work I did during the take-home selection assignment that they ended up offering me a full-time role! At Edenred, usability is a big focus, and as designers, we conduct field usability testing, which is incredibly fascinating to me. It ties back to my interest in psychology which was sparked during the course. I now get to practice those learnings in real-time.

The fellowship also helped me learn industry-specific terminology, making me feel more at home at work.

My vision for the future is to hold a strategic and influential role, where I can drive product growth from every angle, while advocating for the importance of design. Perhaps as a VP of Product or Chief Product Officer (CPO) within a company in due time.

My advice to anyone at the early stage of their career would be to stop doubting yourself and be more compassionate towards yourself. We all experience doubts at some point, but your energy is better spent focusing on learning and making progress rather than constantly doubting yourself.

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If you're looking to make a career transition, or level up in product design, learn more about ownpath's Product Design Fellowship.

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