¿Qué hacer si quieres adquirir las habilidades más demandadas en UX Research en este momento?

The most in-demand UX research roles require you to be thorough with the foundational skills such as empathy, analytical skills, problem-solving, communication and so on. However, foundational knowledge also requires you to know basics of user experience and design thinking process, design principles, lean UX process, human-centred design and the skills to conduct formative, summative, verification and comparative tests throughout the life cycle of a product. It all starts with approaching the process with a user-centric mindset.

Be clear about foundations, UX research is mostly be aware of psychology of user. Learning tools without being able to empathize is of no use. Increase observational skills, try to question existing solutions. Ask what could make things easier, for practice redesign existing applications Read books like Design of everyday things by Norman(I love this book) Know about basics like association, negative action, mapping and more. Try to question Status quo.

In my experience, data is crucial for validating qualitative research findings. Businesses rely on data evidence to confirm key insights. Make sure to master essential data tools like Google Analytics, Power BI, or Adobe Analytics. Learn to dig deeper into the data they provide for additional insights. Also, GA4 has launched, so I encourage researchers to stay updated on Google's latest updates and features.

I'd advise that the more you practice working with different datasets, the better you'll become at uncovering valuable insights. When starting new UX research projects, take time to clearly define the data you'll collect and how you'll collect it, ensuring alignment with your research goals. After collecting data, dedicate time to clean and analyze it. Segment and analyze where possible. If needed, seek guidance from a data expert to extract further insights. Use these insights to validate or invalidate your findings, understanding why certain outcomes occurred. This iterative process will sharpen your skills in data analysis and enhance your ability to derive actionable insights.

I emphasize the importance of networking for learning new research methods and expanding skill sets. From personal experience, I've collaborated with data analysts, learning Excel techniques like Pivot Tables and formulas. This empowers me to analyze data independently and guide research directions. Continuously learning complementary skills like psychology, coding, development, and empathy intelligence is crucial for growth in UX research.

once you know the basics, UX Research it's about practice. You can explore new methods and tools, but the best way to hone your skills is by getting involved in multiple projects (the more varied the better). If your current job does not have this type of projects, you can always try personal projects or volunteer in similar spaces.

Freelancing gives a kickstart to someone wanting to explore the UX space who does not have enough work experience, you can always switch from your current tech stack to another if you have the passion,but you need some careful planning.It might be a risk to lower your current salary on the tech stack that you are working on to start your work where you are passionate about so yeah the start will be risky and rough but you will gain experience and project knowledge and one day that has to add to your benefit , experience never goes waste, you can freelance and take a lower pay job at the start , gain perspective ,meet people and teams , see how things work in the UX, how to pitch your ideas and your career will finally match your passion.