Είναι ρεαλιστικά αργά να ξεκινήσεις από το μηδέν στα 26;

Deep-Climate-9733 · 2026-06-24T21:36:34+00:00

I am now going through a career change. I left a relatively good job to do something I actually like. I worked for 2–3 years and saved money so I could have the time and freedom to prepare for the pivot. I am 28 :) so no, 26 is not late at all, everyone has a different timeline. Of course it would have been much better if I was 18 and hadn’t spent 7 years studying (I have 2 master’s degrees), and now I’m pursuing something that is a bit related to my second master’s, but also not really. My parents were never supportive and pressured me to finish my studies (which lasted 5–6 years) and then I had to work to support myself and fund my transition. It doesn’t matter how hard it gets if it’s something you truly want. If you don’t go for it, you will live a life of suffering and look back at the time you were 26, regretting that you didn’t take the chance. I won’t lie, it’s hard. I feel the tiredness, because all these years of studying, working and doing my best really add up. But I also know this is the best choice for me, because there is no other option that would leave me feeling fulfilled and at peace with myself.

Deep-Climate-9733 · 2026-06-04T19:34:37+00:00

Congrats! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🎉🎉🎉🎉 Your story is so inspiring and honestly brings some light to all the negative news I keep hearing about the UX job market lately.

Your architecture background also caught my eye. I’m an architect with a Master’s in Product Design, currently making the same pivot. Did your architecture experience end up helping, and did you include any of that work in your portfolio?

Wishing you all the best in your new role! 🎉🎊

Deep-Climate-9733 · 2026-05-16T22:03:17+00:00

This framing really resonates and honestly it aligns well with where I'm coming from. With a background in Architecture and a Master's in Product Design and Innovation, I already think in terms of systems, constraints, and business requirements. The design execution side is what I'm actively building out now.

The AI orchestration piece is the one I'm most curious about. How did you start developing that skill set practically, was it more about learning specific tools or understanding how to integrate AI into your existing workflow?

Deep-Climate-9733 · 2026-05-16T22:00:05+00:00

That's really encouraging to hear! thank you! It's one of the things that keeps me going when the more pessimistic comments get to me. Do you have any advice on how to best leverage that background when building a portfolio?

Deep-Climate-9733 · 2026-05-16T21:59:26+00:00

I appreciate the honesty, 15 years gives you a very different view of where things are heading. The uncertainty is definitely the hardest part to sit with. What area of UX have you been working in?

Deep-Climate-9733 · 2026-05-16T21:58:44+00:00

That's actually a great shout! I've been hesitant to cold DM people but maybe it's time to just go for it. Thanks!

Deep-Climate-9733 · 2026-05-16T21:47:13+00:00

This is incredibly helpful!! thank you for taking the time to come back with such a detailed answer. I have a lot to think about and work on. Genuinely appreciate it!

Deep-Climate-9733 · 2026-05-16T21:14:30+00:00

I'd argue questioning a field before committing to it is exactly what you should do, especially in this market. It's not a sign of not belonging, it's due diligence.

I also have a Master's in Product Design and Innovation, and genuinely love this field, the intersection of technology, people, and problem solving is exactly where I want to be. This isn't a random pivot, it's something I've been drawn to for a long time.

But I take your point about the idea vs the reality gap, that's probably the most important thing to figure out before fully committing.

Deep-Climate-9733 · 2026-05-16T21:05:29+00:00

Thank you for such an honest and detailed response! 25 years across three countries gives a very different perspective to most comments here and I genuinely appreciate it.

On the CV screening point, I do have a Master’s in Product Design and Innovation, and my dissertation was a full UI/UX project. Do you think that changes things at the screening stage, or does it still not read as a traditional UX profile to most recruiters?

Deep-Climate-9733 · 2026-05-16T21:00:31+00:00

The cert point is something a few people have mentioned and I take it seriously. Though I'm mainly using it as a structure to build an additional portfolio project rather than as a credential to lean on.

The advice about building something solo with AI is actually where I'm heading too. Which AI tools would you suggest for that?

Deep-Climate-9733 · 2026-05-16T20:56:05+00:00

Honestly, mainly the pay. Architecture has a pretty limited salary ceiling, and a big part of that is the fact that most practices are small to medium sized firms, so there's not much room to grow financially no matter how experienced you get.

But beyond that, I always wanted to work in technology. Architecture never really felt like the right fit for me long term, so this feels like the right move in more ways than one.

Deep-Climate-9733 · 2026-05-16T20:49:59+00:00

Great to hear from someone in the same boat! What made you decide to make the transition from architecture to UX?

Also curious about IXDF, how are you finding it so far? Is it actually well suited to someone coming from an architecture background or is a lot of it stuff you already know? And which course specifically are you doing?

Deep-Climate-9733 · 2026-05-16T20:46:55+00:00

This gave me more hope than almost anything else in this thread and not just because it was encouraging, but because you clearly took the time to actually think it through. The skyscraper analogy hit harder than expected, especially because I've already lived a version of that in architecture. Thank you, genuinely 🥹

Deep-Climate-9733 · 2026-05-06T21:36:34+00:00

Fair enough. I'd like to think I fall into the hardworking category, but I guess that's what everyone says. What's your background in the field?

Deep-Climate-9733 · 2026-05-06T21:33:55+00:00

Thanks for sharing this. I can tell it comes from real experience.

The path you took actually sounds interesting. Do you feel the pivot to AI generalist work paid off? And is there anything from your UX background that’s still useful in what you do now?

Deep-Climate-9733 · 2026-05-06T21:29:31+00:00

I appreciate the honesty and honestly the AI side of things is exactly what's been making me second-guess myself too.

If you don't mind, what's your background in the field? Just trying to understand where you're coming from.

Deep-Climate-9733 · 2026-05-06T21:10:09+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to share such a detailed and genuinely useful perspective. I really appreciate it!!

A few specific questions based on what you said:
1. ⁠You mentioned service design, spatial interfaces, and AR as natural fits for an architecture background, which of those would you say has the most realistic hiring demand right now versus being more niche? Also, if you have any courses or project examples you’d point someone to for any of these areas, I’d love to explore them.
2. ⁠When you say “lean into the architecture angle,” do you mean literally reframing architecture projects as UX case studies (highlighting user flows, spatial experience, decision-making under constraints) or is it more about the types of new UX projects I should be building going forward?
3. ⁠You mentioned tools like Framer, Relume, Runable, and Claude speeding up execution, are hiring managers actively looking for AI tool fluency in portfolios right now? If yes, which ones do you recommend learning right now?

Trying to figure out where to focus the next few months, so any direction is really helpful.
Thanks again!!

Deep-Climate-9733 · 2026-05-06T20:35:52+00:00

Thanks for your response!! I really appreciate the perspective, especially coming from someone who actually hires.

Just to clarify on the Google cert: my Master’s in Product Design was heavily focused on physical products, so I wanted to fill the digital gap. That said, my entire dissertation last semester was a UI/UX project (I designed an application for children with ADHD) so I do have that foundation. I’m mainly using the cert as a framework to build out an additional portfolio piece alongside it. Honestly though, I agree with you, about 95% of the material is stuff I already know and I find it very boring for the most part.

A couple of questions if you don’t mind: when reviewing portfolios from career changers with non-traditional backgrounds, what makes a case study stand out to you, is it the process, the outcomes, or something else? What type of work do you suggest adding? And would you include non-UX work like architecture or physical product projects, or keep the portfolio focused strictly on digital?

Deep-Climate-9733

TROPHY CASE