UPA 2012 Mentoring Poster. How to be a Better UX Mentor: The Mentee's Perspective. This poster corresponds to the User Experience Mentoring group on LinkedIn, where you can find a mentor or mentee.

1. How to be a Better UX Mentor: The Mentee’s Perspective Presented by: Jennifer Canady, M.S. at UPA 2012
User Experience Specialist at Centralis
Objective: Participants: Participants’ Current Mentoring Relationships:
THE STUDY
THE RESULTS
Transitioning from university to the working world is difficult for both the hiring organization, and the This research included recent graduates of an M.S. in Human Computer Interaction program, Most participants had at least some interaction with a mentor, though students and working professionals both struggled
hired. Data collected from surveys and interviews with recent graduates and current students will en- current graduate students and practicing professionals within the field of UX. The focus of this with locating one.
lighten hiring managers and mentors about what types of guidance are most useful and provide insight study is the transition between the university and working world, and nearly all interviewees
from the mentee’s perspective. were either making this transition or had recently made the transition. Most participants had Students:
at least some informal experience with mentors. A few had never had a mentor, but were inter- Students expressed an urgent need to have a mentor’s guidance through the transition from school
ested in the idea of obtaining one. to the working world. Students also had the most trouble locating a mentor. They were unsure who
Methodology: Participants included:
within the community could help them, and could not find mentors through their university pro-
grams. The mentor concept was somewhat of a mythical being; a unicorn that students could nei-
A series of interviews and surveys were conducted between January and May of 2012. Five in-person ther locate nor even attempt to locate.
formal interviews were conducted to gather qualitative feedback, which informed the creation of a sur-
vey. The survey, distributed to 250 UX community members, received 12 responses. These responses
have been combined with interview data to present a set of guidelines for improving UX mentorship Recent Graduates:
within our community. Recent graduates had the highest concentration of mentoring relationships,
though still fewer than half had them. Most admitted that they had made
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The focus of the research was to discover: the transition from school to work without a mentor’s guidance. Some later
Graduate Students acquired a mentor either by seeking them out individually or by being as-
• How do mentoring relationships begin? Currently working signed one through a corporate professional development program. Most of
• What advice is most valued from a mentor? toward their M.S. in these individuals mentioned that they rely on a cohort of colleagues to help
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• What types of feedback are the most useful? HCI them learn more about the field and hone their skills instead of one individ-
• How do mentees like to receive feedback? Working Professionals ual mentor, though they are interested in one-on-one mentoring.
• How frequently is mentoring needed? UX professionals who
• Should a mentor be within or outside a have been out of
Professionals:
12
mentee’s work environment? graduate school for 5+
years After over five years in the field, working professionals have the ability to mentor others, but have not yet
done so. They did not have current mentoring relationships as either a mentor or a mentee. Only one
of these professionals has ever had an official mentor which was assigned to them through a corporate
Recent Graduates mentoring program. Throughout their careers, these professionals sought guidance from more senior
Receiving an M.S. UXers they met at work. All expressed interest in mentoring and having a mentor of their own, though
in Human Computer their need for advice is slightly different than students and recent graduates.
Interaction (2008 -
2012)
Timeline of Mentoring Needs: Desired Attributes of a UX Mentor:
THE ADVICE
Professional Qualities of a Mentor:
The most popular attribute desired of a UX
Improving personal and professional skills: Growing within the UX community: mentor was experience within the field. Ex-
• Understanding how to address different stakeholders (internal, external and clients) • Learning how career fits within the field of UX perience was closely followed by availability
• Improving presentation skills • Finding presentation topics for conferences and willingness to impart advice to a men-
• Dealing with self-doubt • Meeting other members of the community tee. Many also mentioned that a mentor
• Collaboration techniques should be passionate about their work, and
an advocate for UX methods.
Graduate School Beginning Career Growing in Career Long-Term Career Planning
Personal Qualities of a Mentor:
How best to transition from university to career: UX methodologies: Long-term career growth: Participants also deemed personality traits
• Where to apply based on which companies would be a personality fit • Learning methodology by seeing examples of the mentor’s work • Deciding what possbilities are for forward progress like patient, honest, friendly, selfless and a
, , good communicator among the important
• How to improve interviewing and resume skills • Improving design strategy • Understanding possible career paths
• How to prepare a digital portfolio • Becoming familiar with new UX methods • Perspective on current career and organization characteristics of a mentor. They should
• How to sell yourself as a UX professional • Optimizing study design also enjoy teaching and be candid in their
• Learning best practices feedback.
• Effective reporting
• Feedback on deliverables
• Locating available resources (including blogs, books and design templates)
• Understanding industry standards
What a UX Mentor should do: What a UX Mentor should know:
Tell stories about a time when you encountered a similar problem. Allow mentees to try something new before instructing them. Mentees need different types of information throughout their careers.
Mentees want to hear stories about what worked for the mentor, and what didn’t. It helps the As one mentee put it, allow the mentee enough rope to hang themselves, but save them at Most wanted feedback not only on their work, but also wanted to understand their career trajectory. Partici-
mentee better understand the mentor, plus provides an example for the mentee to follow. the last minute. Most mentees said they appreciated the ability to learn on their own first, and pants mentioned the desire to hear stories from their mentors on how they solved similar problems in the
seek advice after they have hit a road block. past. Mentees also have different informational needs at different points in their careers. The timeline above
depicts their informational needs through time.
Share your work.
Mentees want to see examples of previous work to learn new concepts, and check their under- Respect your mentees as intellectual equals. Mentees value online and in-person check-ins.
standing of design and research principles. Respect is key for the mentoring relationship. Many mentees were troubled by mentors who
All participants mentioned availability as a key characteristic of a good mentor. They want the ability to dis-
talked down to them or were condescending.
cuss with their mentors as problems arise in their work or career. Some mentioned that an in-person meeting
would be appropriate every six months to maintain the relationship, but more frequent informal communica-
Keep informed on what’s going on in the community.
As experts in the field, UX Mentors need to understand what is going on within the community, Understand that you are a valuable part of the development of your tions via email are important to get feedback on current events.
and keep up with new methodologies and technologies in order to guide mentees. mentee’s future. Mentees prefer informal, frequent contact.
Take mentoring seriously. Your mentee relies on you to be as accountable to them as they are
Many mentioned that meeting in person is helpful, but also said that availablity via email was critical to main-
to you. They want your advice and guidance, and you play a major role in shaping their career
Listen. taining a mentoring relationship. Often mentees face a critical problem, and they need feedback on how to
path.
Nearly all mentees in this study mentioned the need for the mentor to truly listen to their needs proceed immediately. Frequent, informal contact will allow them access to their mentor as the need arises.
and concerns before dispensing advice. This will help to develop the mentoring relationship,
and allow the mentee to feel respected and understood. An outside organization should sponsor mentoring.
Nearly all wanted unbiased career advice and that can only occur when the mentor does not work within the
same company. Many mentioned that a third-party, professional organization should sponsor mentoring and
facilitate locating compatible mentors and mentees. Most wanted to meet mentors with similar interests, and
preferred to do this as organically as possible. Some said that access to a website or social network where
mentors and mentees can chat would be all that is necessary to form bonds and begin new relationships.