40-Something Career Switcher Delusion?
Hi! I have 20 years of experience as a designer in the fashion industry and switched over to home fashions after I was laid off from my Design Director role due to covid in 2020. After 3 1/2 years in the home fashions industry in a Senior Director role I found myself laid off again after a restructuring. I’ve decided to pursue UX design and am currently enrolled in a certificate program (which I’m loving) and should complete by/before December. I know I don’t have to tell anyone here that the job market sucks especially in creative fields but I’m nervous about starting ALL the way over. I bring a ton of skills hard and soft to the table so I don’t think I should have to start out in a junior level role. However, all of the job descriptions for senior UX designers and above require at least 5 years experience. Am I being delusional to think I will be able to land a senior level UX role when I finish the program or do I have to start at the bottom again.
Anonymous
07/10/25 at 5:38PM UTC
Apply to every single UX designer role you can find. Make sure you capture your 20 years of experience with key words in your resume that the ATS will pick up. The percentage of jobs are not landed from applications (we got a little data in a meeting this week), they are landed by networking. Network with UX designers and look at where they work, where DID they work, look at these companies sites, review Glassdoor reviews, then find someone to send your resume to, outside of the old apply and submit buttons. You need a chance and hopefully you will find someone that will help you get in the door. Good luck!
Anonymous
07/09/25 at 4:07PM UTC
You're not being delusional, you're being ambitious and self-aware, which is exactly the right mindset for a career pivot. That said, it’s important to be strategic and realistic as you transition into UX.
Here’s the nuance:
You absolutely should not consider yourself entry-level. You bring 20 years of creative leadership, product development, visual storytelling, and user-centered thinking—skills that translate directly into UX design. Your experience managing teams, presenting to stakeholders, and navigating cross-functional collaboration will set you apart from bootcamp grads who have only a handful of class projects.
However, hiring managers in UX often use “5+ years of experience” as a proxy for applied, specifically UX-related experience—so while you might not land a Senior UX Designer title right out of the gate, that doesn’t mean you’re starting from the bottom either.
Instead, consider aiming for:
Mid-level UX roles at companies that value hybrid backgrounds
“Senior” roles with flexible definitions, especially at startups or companies where your leadership and visual design chops fill a gap
Roles with adjacent titles like Product Designer, Experience Designer, or even UX Strategist, where your broader skill set might be a better fit
Contract or freelance UX gigs where your seniority can shine without title constraints
Also, look for companies with teams that intentionally hire career changers—they exist, especially in mission-driven or design-mature organizations.
In short: no, you don't have to start over—but you may need to be flexible on title at first while you build a UX-specific portfolio. The goal is to get your foot in the right door where your strengths can be seen and valued. Once you're in, your experience will speak for itself and growth can be fast.
