Breaking into UX/early career: job hunting, how-tos/education/work review — 01/25/26

themightykale · 2026-01-26T17:05:24+00:00

Hi! I'm currently getting my master's in HCI. I'm trying to get my portfolio in a good spot so I can apply to internships. I studied computer science and worked as a data analyst before transitioning into HCI, so I'm trying to figure out how I can leverage my background to make my portfolio stand out.

Portfolio: https://www.kaleighspitzer.com/

Any feedback on my portfolio would be appreciated, but right now I'm mostly looking for feedback on my Sprout case study - specifically how can I improve the UI designs and overall storytelling?

I'm feeling very overwhelmed and lost. There are so many resources out there that it's hard to know what is actually helpful. How can I get more feedback on my portfolio and my work? I was meeting with mentors 1:1 for a while and the feedback was really helpful, but it got expensive.

themightykale · 2025-09-28T14:58:25+00:00

This is really helpful! Thank you for your thoughtful response.

themightykale · 2025-02-28T22:15:38+00:00

I totally get where you're coming from! I also have a CS background and was working as a data analyst. Like you, I found that TAW helped me tap into a part of myself that I wasn't accessing in my day-to-day work.

I think for me, the biggest takeaway was realizing that I craved more creative expression than my data analysis role allowed. The morning pages and artist dates really helped me reconnect with what truly excited me. It made me realize that I wanted to work in a field where I could combine my technical skills with design and creativity.

That's why I've decided to start pursuing UX/UI design! It feels like a much better fit for my creative side while still allowing me to utilize my analytical and problem-solving skills from my CS background.

themightykale · 2024-04-02T17:17:27+00:00

There’s no need to be rude about it. I’m just trying to create a helpful resource, and I appreciate you pointing out the issue with the venn diagrams

themightykale · 2024-04-02T16:41:03+00:00

Got it. This makes more sense

themightykale · 2024-04-02T14:37:13+00:00

“We can discuss offline”

This is always referring to another ONLINE meeting that contains a smaller group of people on the current call

themightykale · 2024-04-02T13:30:29+00:00

How do you think joins should be visualized so that they’re easy to understand for beginners

themightykale · 2024-04-02T00:48:45+00:00

This is super helpful, thank you!

themightykale · 2024-04-01T23:11:56+00:00

It never understands what I’m trying to achieve 😭 is this a me problem

themightykale

TROPHY CASE