Navigating career:
Finding a mentor
Finding a mentor
Seeking guidance from those further along in their field can be pivotal yet tricky for designers who lack connections. These stories explore personal experiences that leverage mentors to enable career pivots and fill knowledge gaps.
Seeking guidance from those further along in their field can be pivotal yet tricky for designers who lack connections. These stories explore personal experiences that leverage mentors to enable career pivots and fill knowledge gaps.
I wanted to be a marketing researcher, and invested a lot in studying marketing and consumer behavior in undergrad and grad school. But I realized that understanding user behavior would be key for products. I ended up in UX research through an internship at a financial firm. My manager saw my willingness to try new things and overlap between marketing and UX research. She taught me UX skills on the job.
My undergrad degree was in business administration focused on marketing, and I later got an MBA. My internship manager helped me transition to UX research. We’re still friends 15 years later, though we’ve lost touch. Relationships have been key to my career success, and I’ve built a network by working closely with people, listening actively, and understanding how to apply my skills.
I wanted to be a marketing researcher, and invested a lot in studying marketing and consumer behavior in undergrad and grad school. But I realized that understanding user behavior would be key for products. I ended up in UX research through an internship at a financial firm. My manager saw my willingness to try new things and overlap between marketing and UX research. She taught me UX skills on the job.
My undergrad degree was in business administration focused on marketing, and I later got an MBA. My internship manager helped me transition to UX research. We’re still friends 15 years later, though we’ve lost touch. Relationships have been key to my career success, and I’ve built a network by working closely with people, listening actively, and understanding how to apply my skills.
Kaycee Collins:
Design Leader, Product Strategy and Design Consultant. Her first UX manager mentored her on the job, helping her shift careers.
Kaycee Collins:
Design Leader, Product Strategy and Design Consultant. Her first UX manager mentored her on the job, helping her shift careers.
I grew up in a humble household where no one had a university degree. My parents only finished primary school before running a small bakery, and they worked hard to put me through school. I became interested in design as an engineering student, but didn’t know anyone in the field. I had to find mentors myself. With no ADPList back then, I went on LinkedIn to connect with designers who would be willing to guide me.
Year after year, I grew as a designer with my mentors’ help. I always circle back to ask if I’m on the right track with my work and communication. Their feedback and guidance helped me progress despite my unconventional background.
Now I’m a top ADPList mentor, having done 500+ sessions with people from 40 countries. Mentoring feels rewarding because I can share wisdom that helps others grow. It’s about more than practical advice—it’s about passing knowledge to the next generation for humanity’s betterment.
I grew up in a humble household where no one had a university degree. My parents only finished primary school before running a small bakery, and they worked hard to put me through school. I became interested in design as an engineering student, but didn’t know anyone in the field. I had to find mentors myself. With no ADPList back then, I went on LinkedIn to connect with designers who would be willing to guide me.
Year after year, I grew as a designer with my mentors’ help. I always circle back to ask if I’m on the right track with my work and communication. Their feedback and guidance helped me progress despite my unconventional background.
Now I’m a top ADPList mentor, having done 500+ sessions with people from 40 countries. Mentoring feels rewarding because I can share wisdom that helps others grow. It’s about more than practical advice—it’s about passing knowledge to the next generation for humanity’s betterment.
Felix Lee:
Co-founder and CEO of the ADPList global mentorship platform. He had to proactively seek out mentors on LinkedIn to help guide his career.
Felix Lee:
Co-founder and CEO of the ADPList global mentorship platform. He had to proactively seek out mentors on LinkedIn to help guide his career.
