84. The UX Career Check-In: Are You Where You Want to Be?

Have you ever woken up wondering if you’re on the right career path?

In this episode, I chat with Veronica Shelton, co-founder and head of creative and technology at Oak Theory. Veronica’s went from being a high school “nerdy jock” who loved Photoshop to a successful creative director who co-founded her own design studio.

Veronica shares her story, including how she dropped out of college three times before finding her passion in design. She talks about how important it is to recognize your creative talents and use your past job experiences to build a unique career in UX/UI design. Veronica also emphasizes trying out different roles and staying curious about new opportunities.

We discuss the importance of networking and learning from others in the industry. Veronica believes that talking to people about their work challenges can give you valuable insights and open up new opportunities. She also talks about the need to stay humble and be open to feedback, which is crucial for personal and professional growth.

Veronica’s advice and experiences offer helpful guidance for anyone starting their career or thinking about switching to the creative industry. Her insights provide a roadmap for using past experiences, networking effectively, and continuously learning to achieve career success.

Topics:
• 04:47 – Veronica’s origin story
• 09:28 – Deciding to take one path over another
• 13:18 – What happens when you wake up 10 years from now?
• 15:35 – leverage your last career
• 19:08 – As a designer how do you experiment with new options
• 23:15 – Exploring the unknown unknowns
• 30:55 – Using side hustles to learn to things
• 41:36 – Leave your ego at the door

Helpful Links:
• Connect with Veronica on LinkedIn
• Oak Theory

Veronica Shelton
Co-Founder @ Oak Theory

About Veronica

Veronica Shelton is a Co-Founder and head of Creative & Technology at Oak Theory – a design studio specializing in UX/UI, web and application design. Throughout her career, she has partnered with a wide variety of brands, from startups to Fortune 500 companies where her passion is to translate voices and stories into products and experiences that resonate in the most authentic way. Oak Theory works with boutique brands, startups, and giants like Google and the University of California, where they lead with skill, grit, innovation, and inclusivity at the forefront of everything they do.

Connect with Veronica on LinkedIn

—

Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.

If you haven’t already, sign up for our email list. We won’t spam you. Pinky swear.

• Get a FREE audiobook AND support the show
• Support the show on Patreon
• Check out show transcripts
• Check out our website
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Subscribe on Stitcher