Kristen Casaubon is a former licensed social worker and stay at home mom who has successfully transitioned into UX design as a freelancer through the You are techY program. I know you’ll be encouraged as Kristen shares how taking steps before you’re completely ready is the way to succeed in tech.
Kristen Casaubon is a former licensed social worker and stay at home mom who has successfully transitioned into UX design as a freelancer through the You are techY program. I know you’ll be encouraged as Kristen shares how taking steps before you’re completely ready is the way to succeed in tech.
You are listening to episode 155.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the You Are Techie podcast, where it's all about growing in your tech so you can find the tech job of your dreams. And now your host technology learning coach, Ellen Tomi.
Speaker 1:Hey moms, are you trying to break into tech? Are you wondering what skills you really need to get hired and how those skills can be worth$45 an hour instead of the$25 an hour you thought when you first started thinking about going back to work? If so, then the your techie membership is for you. Our combination of courses, coaching and community come with the mentor support you need to keep moving forward in your tech career. It's like no other membership program available. We have the exact skills employers are looking for you learn how to maximize your income with portfolio ready skills that hiring managers are seeking. Not to mention the steps you can skip so you don't find yourself down that endless tech learning rabbit hole. Join me as I walk you step by step through the getting hired process and tech sign up@utechie.com. That's Y O U A R E T E C H y.com. I can't wait to see you in our membership. Welcome to the podcast. We are doing something super fun today. It's all about you and breaking into tech that goal I know you want for yourself, but can seem overwhelming and confusing when you're on one side of the fence.
Speaker 3:Don't
Speaker 1:Worry, we've got you covered. We are sharing with you advice from the trenches from some of our favorite success stories. Kristen
Speaker 3:Cavan is a UX designer, web developer and mom of screen. Kristen made the return work after more than a decade of full-time. Carrie for her growing children, Kristen specializing in UI design efficiency work of highly technical user interface of design and implementation. She has an undergraduate degree in an MS msw and those will work both from Florida State University. Chris worked as a social worker for John Old Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg. Fire stay at home with her kids. CRI lives in Austin with her three children, ages nine, 13 and 15 as well as her husband. Kristen, welcome to the podcast. Ellen. Thanks so much. I'm so happy to have Diego. We can challenge it. And so I'm so grateful for your patience. I appreciate it so much and I have passion. Absolutely, me too. I know that, you know, each career journey looks a little bit different and you certainly are, social work is not the natural progression to Ted, but you're not the first one I've seen. And so I would love you to take us through your career journey, just looking at kind of the highs and lows, what sticks out to you and just tell us a little bit about that. Yeah, so it definitely was a journey. You know, originally when I think about my career or careers, I think of it as kind of segmented, but the reality is there was a path along the way. And so when I got into social work, I was fresh out of college, kind of bright-eyed, wishy tailed, really excited and had a lot of enthusiasm of course. And it was really great. I, I learned a lot very quickly moved into management roles and within that space I loved what I did, but I really did struggle with the heaviness of the work. And I think that honestly at this point where I am now, that might even feel even more heavy with my own family. Parenting was something I'd always envisioned and wanted in my life. And interestingly, even though I'm a planner, I hadn't really thought about what comes after that. You know, I'd gotten to the, okay, you're a mom and then I don't know what, what else do we do? So there came a time as my kids have gotten older that I, I realized, okay, it's time to reevaluate me as a professional individual and what does that look like? Reality is social work doesn't offer the same flexibility that I really wanted for our family. And, um, I think for a long time I've pigeonholed myself into the idea of, well, that's what I'm trained in. So that's what I do and I don't really have any other options. But as I learned more about tech and so many of the amazing spaces you can move into in tech, I really realized that wow, I could transition and all of those skills that I'm trained in and that I apply even in my life as a parent are very applicable to work within the tech field too. And so that was very encouraging to, to see that and see that, okay, this is something that's possible for me, diving right in, in your opinion, you know, you can only take what you can experience that you've had. So I'm curious from your take, why do some women make the transition to tech and some who are interested in doing that? Actually never do. Yeah, so I think that's a, a small sentence with a lot of vari answers. Everybody has their own path that they need to follow. I think that it's important to remember that there's a luxury with having the time to devote to additional study and practice. There's accessibility to training, but within that also, I think a lot of times there's a mental and emotional block. Once you get to a certain space you say, okay, well, like I was saying, as far as my social work, I felt kind of pigeonholed into, well, this is what I know. And giving yourself that permission to explore outside of that space and to, I often say feel comfortable with the uncomfortable. It's a big jump to take. And so transitioning into tech is all about feeling uncomfortable and learning something new. It doesn't always feel great as you go. And so reinventing yourself essentially is what you have to do. And I think that seeing other women who've taken those steps really makes a difference. Having that example ahead of you can make a difference, but I suspect that, yeah, there's a lot of, this isn't really what I originally envisioned for myself and how am I gonna fit into that? I think that's a great perspective, just your own take and how, I mean, it is tricky right there. There can be lots of different answers, but it is important that you're, it does require growth. There's really no way to do that without growth if you haven't done it before, you know. Absolutely. Yeah. Okay. So I know you're working as a freelancer currently though you're open to in-house work. So what are some tips that you can give aspiring UX advisory? It sounds silly, but my approach always is to be myself. I feel it's very important that I show up as my authentic self because that's the person I'm gonna bring to the workforce every day. So if I, um, doesn't jive with that person that I'm interviewing with for whatever reason, I don't wanna pretend like I'm something else. Then you get into day-to-day work life and it, it doesn't mesh. And the goal is to find the right fit for that organization and also to find the right organization for you, employee as a person. So I think that showing up authentically, being honest, that also being open to new experiences. And then it really comes down to like dating, right? Like use your good manners, but be yourself,<laugh>. I love it. I think that's important because if you are trying too hard to impress, which I 100% this, especially in my early twenties, then you have to like keep that up and then it got hard work and the work is hard enough. It's like two jobs. And ultimately if you're looking for longevity, you need to know you're in a comfortable, safe space to be who you are so that you can be effective in your growth in what you're providing to the company and giving you space to open up to everything. And if you don't feel comfortable and safe doing that, if you feel like you have to be someone else, that's not gonna be a good partnership for either side. That's great. I love it. Okay, so I know you been a, you are techie student and LA wanted me to ask you this. How do you feel that being a you techie student has helped you in your journey? Assuming that it has, what about it has helped you in your journey? Well, it absolutely has. Thank you for asking that. Actually, you know, I think it's obviously has helped with growing my UX skills, right? Like this is a training program for that. On top of that, it's definitely helped me to grow my confidence, um, entering into a group of supportive people who are trying to walk a similar path but come from varying backgrounds. You are exposed to so many different perspectives and experiences that you can learn from. I think that that is really remarkable, right? We have students from all over the world and that's pretty amazing to get to hear different perspectives and different experiences in not even, you know, the hiring process or just specific work that they're doing. Along with that, the opportunity to meet with you weekly, sometimes twice a week to talk technical, but also the coaching aspect that's really tend to be a pretty open person as far as thinking things through and learning and growing emotionally. But I think that having that accountability with you, you know, talking to someone else, especially someone who is trained as a coach, always opens up different perspectives. And that's helped me to peel back a few more layers to, to push myself even better for emotional growth that's gonna lead my path professionally really well. I think that's gonna help me down that path, so thank you. You're welcome. It's been a pleasure. That is, that's so helpful. I think that sometime, you know, most people join for the tech, you know, and then they stay for the coaching and then it's kind of hard to understand how having you even theoretically understand how having a group of people going through the same thing helping you, but then it's different when you have a hard time or you see them going through a hard time and then you see like, hey, this is just the path, this is what it looks like. It can look a little different, but this is the path. And I think that's the, you know, that's a really valuable thing though. Absolutely. And knowing that you're not alone on that path and then Okay, because sometimes it, it's very isolating to be learning by yourself. Yeah. This is a community that really opens up to realizing, okay, well this person's like three steps ahead of where I am and they're struggling at that point. So when I enter that space, then okay, I know that potentially something that's gonna trip me up or not. Maybe I've learned from their experience and it's more comfortable to me. So I think that's very beneficial. Yeah, that's great. All right, let's talk tech. What technical skills do you feel have helped you in your job search? Has it all been positive? And what skills do you recommend others learn to move their career forward? So I know you wanted to tech and that would be a very specific program, something along those lines. But I think that overall what's been most helpful to me is being open to learning in general and learning new softwares, learning new approaches. I really believe in using the word yet at the end of, I have not done that. Because if you're open to that, if you're open to taking the next step to, again, being comfortable being uncomfortable, you're gonna learn and you're gonna learn really quickly. So I'm very honest with people, especially when I'm interviewing. Someone might ask if I've used a specific software and I'm happy they, well no, at this point I haven't used it yet, but I'd be happy to walk through it with you. Or you know, send me your favorite YouTube video audit, let me pick up the skill and practice them and then let's go. So I think that's a really important part of tech with, as quickly as everything moves and changes, you've got to be open to that. And have you always viewed yourself as techy? No, not really. I've always been really comfortable on the computer. You know, I didn't think that I'm a part of that group that's always used the computer in one way or the other, but definitely not. Like I was not that person that was coding at an early age or anything along those lines. Yeah, I think that's important because you were a social worker, so some many might stereotype you and say, oh, she's probably afraid of the computer. Well, no, that doesn't mean that<laugh>, it means, no, there can be a whole range, but you have always been a little bit comfortable, which is why I think maybe you may, and so I kind of talked about the beginning, but you are highly, not just as a UX designer, but you have a lot of capability like web designer and you know, WordPress developer. Like you've done a lot of different technical things and I feel like you like that you like doing some of the more technical thighs of Buick design process. Absolutely. When I was in social work, you know, I, as I said, I came fresh out of college and I was comfortable on the computer at that level. And so the hospital I was at did not currently have a computerized charting system. And while I was there, they were developing that. And so I was actually the representative for the social work department to help to develop and integrate it. So some might say I was somewhat involved in UX at that point in time and strategy. And then my job, part of my job in my management role was to train the social workers how to use it. That is very interesting. Something I didn't know and not that surprised<laugh>. That makes sense. Okay. Was it all positive? We didn't really touch on that. I tended pretty positive person, so I tend to look for the positives, even in the negatives. I, prior to starting my UX training, I knew of UX and was interested, but I, well, I really wanna learn some coding first just to feel a little more confident in ice bones. And so I did take the first half of a full stack coding program and I learned in that that it's really cool and I love that I could do it. Yeah. But it wasn't necessarily something that I wanted to spend a lot of time on. And so learning that it's helped me to pinpoint even more what I do wanna do. Yeah. So I suppose, I wouldn't say it was a negative by any mean, but it certainly did help to direct my journey a little bit more. Right. I think that's a great point, because the next question is really about your skills to move your career forward. And so that probably is one, even if you don't end up using it, I mean, that's the thing that's hard to encapsulate. Like even if you don't like code every day, it's very helpful to understand kind of the foundation. So can you talk a little bit more about the skill that, that have really moved your foot forward? Yeah, I, and I think you're exactly right. I think that having that knowledge base from my coding experience, I think that certainly has helped along the way. It's helped me be more comfortable as I've entered into the idea of WordPress design and some of the coding that's needed within that, behind the scenes. I think skill-wise, not technically the idea that taking a step before you a hundred percent feel ready for it, I think that that has helped to move me forward, because if I were to wait until I felt a hundred percent comfortable to take the next step every single time, I would probably be where I was a year ago. I think that is a pretty remarkable one to, to take on in life in general. You know, it be able to take the next step and say, I'm not exactly sure how this is gonna go and won't go exactly as I plan, but it's gonna go and it's gonna take me somewhere and in the long run it's gonna take me where I want to be, wherever that might be. I think that has helped to move me forward. I say like it. What do you think has been the most important action, thought or perspective? I think, well, you know, we were just talking about patience. I think that patience is something that definitely has been an important thought. And then within that, you know, you talk often about, I was just talking with my husband about it last night, about thoughts that serve me, keeping in perspective, okay, are the thoughts that I'm taking in with this current experience, are they a positive thought for me to, like we just talked about move forward? Are they going to help walk the path that I want to walk? Keeping that in mind at the forefront of every thought that I have, which of course is never perfect, but I try to keep that at the forefront. I think that is crucial in the process of interviewing and applying and trying to find the next job for you. That's very good. I love it. All right. What role and we chart, I mean, I, I know this was very close to your heart. What role has motherhood played in your career? You soju, uh, hence been front and center of the decision? You know, I'm feel so fortunate that I've been able to be home with my kids as when they were younger and now into their teen years. And even now, it's important to me, while I, I won't say recreate myself, but while I venture into the next iteration of myself, they're still there with me. And that whoever, as I become this new person, they're in the center. I think that honest and true, it's true. It's, you want your kids to thrive as you grow. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah, I think that's entirely possible. Yeah. Okay. What do you like best about<inaudible>? I really like problem solving. So one of my favorite things to do is go to escape rooms, which sounds ridiculous, but I love to do that. And when I think about the UX process, I kind of think about it like an escape room, which it's not like it's terrifying. You're walking into something then have to piece apart and figure out the puzzles within it. And in doing that, unlock other puzzles to be able to, well get out or in UX to develop this real incredible product that makes a lot of sense and that's engaging and interesting. So I kind of nerd out about that stuff. You just gave me such the best idea because I've been needing to go to one of those for so long, and a few of my kids have been, but not all of them. So that's a great birthday idea for like Baby Daniel. But I love it. I love that. I would totally nerd out with you on that. Kristin. I think it's Gayer song, really fun. Although I don't like being trapped. I do not like, I do not like that. But I do like the P part, I'm the same way. And the knowledge that you can get out at any time, you just, you know, the door is there, you just have to make the choice. So, okay. You're safe. I love it. Okay. What if is, what's challenging about ux? So you'd asked me this a few months ago, as you know, I would've said ui. I did not feel super, super comfortable with that at that point in time. But ends time has gone on and I have, you know, improved my skill. It's like a muscle, you gotta work out the same thing to learn and grow. And so I think that with ux, every situation is an exploration and that is a challenge for sure. I like that challenge personally, finding a way along the line. I think that everything else design is rarely the linear, it's usually a little messy in the middle as you figure things out. Yes. And then get to the pretty stuff at the end. So the challenge within that isn't okay with it. Yeah, that's so good. And I think that's just so, okay, this is a really great point because it's so funny when you said that. I'm like, you're like, as you know, I'm like hanging on your word a few months ago. And I'm like, what is she gonna say? I have no idea what she's gonna say right now. And then when you said it, I was like, oh, you have trouble with that. Like it's completely, it raised from my mind that because, because really UI is a skill, right? Like everything is a skill. Every creative pursuit, a skill, selling it, skill, interviewing, it a skill. It's just when they're ambiguous and complicated or creative and we can't do a step by step problem sport, we think, well, I'm just not good at that. No, it's a skill you can get. Good. And so I think that's a very important piece here. I love your's journey for this, for other people and for, and for everyone to look at that as an example because it's very easy to bucket yourself. Like, oh, well I'm kinda, I'm kind of the technical ux, but I'm not great at ux. Well, no, absolutely. It could be both. So I love that part of your journey. Absolutely, absolutely. Okay, last question. What advice would you give to a, a woman or a mom specifically who is considering a career in you? So as, as you may know by now, I'm kind of a researcher, so I don't tend to jump into things with both without looking. I would say go for it. But the reality is I tend to research a little bit. I read about stuff, I watch various videos, I listen to podcasts. In fact, listening to your podcast helped me to choose this path. You were a huge inspiration in the interviews with the women and men that you've spoken to on the podcast. Helped me to realize what was out there. And so I would say do your research, talk with your loved ones about it, and talk with them honestly about the direction that you're interested in pursuing. And then go for it. You know, keep in mind that just like design a new path, it's not always linear. Sometimes it's a little messy in the middle that it's totally worth it. So I hope that this podcast can help someone else in the same way that previous podcasts helped me to make my decision. I'm confident that it will. Thank you so much for being on the show, Griffin. This was a ton of fun. Thanks for having me, Ellen. I really enjoyed it.
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