Northern Beaches Mums Group
Northern Beaches Mums Group

Why User Experience Design the Perfect Career for Mums

Design Process of Ideal Job for Mum | Northern Beaches Mums

Going back to work whether it’s been 18 weeks maternity leave or 20 years later after raising several kids can be daunting. There is comfort in telling you that you are not the only mother who has anxiety when considering going back to work following a break to care for family. 

As economic times become tougher, more women are making the reluctant decision to return to work earlier because of financial constraints brought on by having just one working parent in the family. In many cases the mere thought of returning to work after having children is overwhelming. You may feel like you have “missed the boat” or don’t understand emerging technology or are worried about not having the flexibility to take a day off to care for your children when they are sick. 

These fears and concerns are exactly why we say user experience (UX) design is the perfect career choice for mums. A career in UX design ticks all the boxes to combine immense personal career rewards and emotional satisfaction knowing you have the flexibility to take care of your family

Women are flourishing in the UX design field

When it comes to job satisfaction, UX design roles rank 9th on the list and many mums are choosing a career in UX design for this exact reason. The satisfaction of thriving in both worlds allowing you to work and balance life as a mum is incredibly rewarding. 

There is so much flexibility when it comes to the type of UX designer you want to be. Apart from the range of disciplines you can dive into, you can also choose to specialise in a core skill like information architecture, design research or any aspect of UX that you feel passionate about. 

UX culture really encourages mentoring and this inherent culture of knowledge sharing is a very unique aspect of the industry. You get to work with supportive people to help you grow your skills, capabilities and gain the confidence to restart a former career or begin a totally new career. 

One of the most attractive benefits of a career in UX design is that you can work from a home office, which makes it possible to manage your work hours and create a career lifestyle that suits you. The industry also offers healthy salaries and long-term employability prospects. In fact, concrete proof of this high demand career choice is outlined in the article by Glassdoor – 25 highest paid entry level jobs of 2019, the UX designer job category is listed in 6th position. (https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/highest-paying-entry-level-jobs-19/)

UX designers have a bright future.

As more and more of our waking hours are spent on website and apps, the need for UX designers to deliver more engaging and delightful experiences of these devices is expected to rise rapidly i.e. 14% over the next 10 years according to Burning Glass. With the number of digital devices expected to more than double to 75 billion by 2025, just 4 years away, global organisations and start-ups are increasingly in need of designers who can create the next best websites, apps and interface experiences.

After a career break it isn’t uncommon to experience some self-doubt but making a career change later in life is an advantage in the UX field. A diverse background and life experience means you’re likely to have a deeper perspective on a broad range of things. Even if you don’t have any design experience but you’re interested in learning about user behaviour and consider yourself a “people person”, you should go for it! So many mums are using UX principles every day without even realising it, so why not use those skills to create a meaningful career that works around your family.


If you’d like to enquire about UX design courses or simply find out more, contact Harness Projects to see our project based digital skills courses.