#41 The job market for UXers is going through tough times: How can you build resilience during periods of uncertainty?

What’s your take?

For a long time, I struggled with the need for immediate certainty.

I needed a clear yes or no. I needed to schedule everything and find the perfect way to do things.

This made it harder for others to work with me. It also made me enjoy my work less.

I have to be honest—when the waves of tech layoffs hit hard a few years ago, in some ways, it was a blessing. Don’t get me wrong. It’s emotionally and financially difficult for everyone who goes through it. That doesn’t change.

But for me, it was a blessing because I learned that immediate certainty, even when no questions are left, is an illusion. Things can change 180 degrees in just five minutes. You can get a written confirmation of your promotion in the morning. And get laid off in the afternoon.

Over time, I’ve learned to separate fear from uncertainty.

Work can be uncertain: We don’t know what changes today or tomorrow will bring. We don’t know if our promotion will be approved, if our job application will succeed, or if we’ll secure the budget for our project.

But uncertainty doesn’t have to mean fear.

Kenneth Tharp says it best:

“We should all become better at holding things up for question, without the ever-present need for immediate certainty.”

What do you say?

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👋🏼 I’m Mel, a UX Career Coach based in beautiful Barcelona.

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