Why lifelong learning is an important part of your UX career

Why lifelong learning is an important part of your UX career

Building an effective learning behavior in today’s fast paced economy can be a daunting task for a person trying to start a new role or trying to stay relevant in an organization. 
Organizations today are approaching learning differently and placing premium value on lifelong learners as experts. This suggests that companies pay extra attention to lifelong learners because they ensure that the organization’s goals are met and that the company stays ahead of the competition. 

Sally Wilde, Vice President of Gartner’s HR practice stresses in a press release that “In order to remain competitive in an increasingly digital world, companies must transform the skills of their workforce, both on a macro level by determining the skills their market and clients are calling for, and on a micro level, by showing employees the personal benefit to upskilling and offering experiences for them to do so.” 

This statement by Sally is a reaction to business leaders’ opinions on digitalizing their workforce fully to maximize their productivity and ensure that they keep market dominance. If a business is not innovative enough, they are more likely to die prematurely Hence, the reason lifelong learners are choice candidates for employment by today’s hiring standard in innovating organizations where innovation equals market dominance. 
​
Take for instance the constant backlash at Apple for not being innovative enough in the smartphone market. Companies like Samsung and Xiaomi are now contending for Apple’s spot as the most innovative smartphone brand, and this is clear in the smartphone market share. Xiaomi through consistent innovation rose to the third largest smartphone brand in the third quarter of 2020. Yes, Apple as at the time of writing this article occupies the top spot, but that might change if Samsung and Xiaomi continue to push the boundaries of innovation. In fact, in the third quarter of 2020, Samsung edged Apple to take top spot in the smartphone market share. 

Innovating organizations make up a large part of DesignTech if not all the industry. Starting a career in this industry would require that you embrace lifelong learning for you to be appealing to hiring managers who believe that natural learners are asset to organizations. Companies are investing a lot in building a learning culture and it is only normal that they will want to consider natural and active learners when hiring, promoting, or laying off. 

You have to commit yourself to learning and innovating as a designer or manager to stay aloft in your career. It is hard, but the reward is commensurable to your effort. 

If you are a new or aspiring UX designer or Agile manager, Go create USA is a place to start off your journey into DesignTech.
​Sign up now to take part in this year’s free tech Bootcamp.