How I became a junior product designer after the ITMO masters

I was born and raised in Kislovodsk, and it was there that my educational life began. After graduation, she entered the Piatigorsk specialty «State and Municipal Administration ». This decision was influenced by parents who firmly believed that it was «the correct » path. But, as it turned out, here I did not find my calling. After receiving the diploma, I got a job working in the registry office, and I realized that this was not my element. Therefore, after graduation, I moved to St. Petersburg and plunged into the world of management, working in various fields for ten years.

First steps in design

Among all the areas in which I worked, I especially liked the role of a project manager. However, even here I did not feel in my place. I always dreamed of creating something important and useful for people, but I didn’t know how to draw. It has become my «dark horse » in choosing a future profession.

After three years as a manager, I decided to pull myself together and enrolled in courses at the Art Future online school. She studied painting, graphics and composition for six months, attended exhibitions. But, despite all the efforts, I could not achieve significant success in the artistic direction. This prompted me to rethink my career.

Decision to change profession

A year later, my daughter was born, and I returned to my hometown to work remotely. At this time, a pandemic began, and the number of opportunities for online education increased significantly. I realized that this is an ideal moment for changing a profession.

Working as a project manager, I often interacted with a team of designers, and their work inspired me. I saw how important it is to study user needs and create convenient interfaces. For me, this was a revelation, and I decided to become a grocery designer.

I turned to a coach who helped me analyze my interests and skills. This will give me confidence for further steps.

ITMO Magistracy Path

In the end, I quit my job and entered the Yandex Workshop for the UI / UX specialty design. Studying lasted eight months, and in parallel I began working with small businesses and startups. But freelance turned out to be difficult — unstable earnings and uneven stress complicated the situation.

I began to actively seek internships, but the process was not easy. Without experience, they refused me, and I ended up in a vicious circle: in order to get experience, I had to work, but without experience they did not take me.

Once, looking through the sites, I came across a «Product Design » in ITMO. The program promised an internship, and I knew that the university has an excellent reputation among graduates. I quickly applied and arrived in three days.

ITMO study

Education in the magistracy cost about 700 thousand rubles. I paid for the semesters, putting off part of the earnings. Classes were held remotely, which made it possible to flexibly approach studies. In the first year, everything went quite easily, but on the second load increased, because I started an internship at HeadHunter.

While studying and working at the same time, I faced difficulties. The schedule was intense, and sometimes I had to refuse to meet friends. However, I understood that this was necessary to achieve my goal.

Teachers at ITMO turned out to be real professionals, they not only taught us skills, but also formed an integrated approach to design. We went through a lot of practice and got a detailed feedback. Thanks to this program, I was able to get an internship, which turned out to be much simpler compared to an independent search.

Work at HeadHunter

I now work as a junior product designer at HeadHunter. My task is — to improve the user interface, work out user scripts and introduce new functions. This is what I dreamed about, and I feel that on the right track.

The income level is now the same as I had at my previous job, but there is a growth prospect. An important point in this process was the focus on the — goal of getting into the product team. This helped me not to waste time on random projects, but to focus on internships in large companies.

Conclusion

I am sure that admission to the magistracy has become one of the best solutions in my life. I changed my profession and now I do what I love. It not only allows me to reveal my potential, but also brings joy. I advise everyone who wants to take a step into a new profession, not to be afraid to seek opportunities and communicate with people in their field. Communication and support from colleagues played a key role in my success.