The big question…

“Why are you going back to school?” The question I have been asked a lot the last week as I made a post on Facebook last week that I was beginning a new Masters program in Software Development. Family and Friends of mine were a bit surprised that after just receiving my Bachelor’s Degree last year (Dec. 2022) I was already returning to school. So why did I decide to do it? Well… to better myself of course. I have always been a person who wants to learn as many skills as I can so that I can be a true “Swiss Army Knife” in the Design and development world.

I acquired a Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree in Digital Media. This degree was terrific as it gave me the skills needed to understand all aspects of design. It encompassed all forms of digital media from UX/UI Design, Web Development, Game Design, Animation and Video Editing, Graphic Design, etc. However, upon graduating I realized the market is super saturated with UX/UI Designers. From 4-year degrees, boot camps, and self-taught professionals. It requires a ton of on-the-side dedication to compete with other UX/UI Professionals within the field. I immediately could see that my skills compared to other readily available professionals were lacking…

I took a few volunteer side gigs as well as designed my own custom UI Kits in hopes of perfecting my skills. I worked feverishly in Figma over the course of six months so that I could learn the program and make it a staple within my portfolio. I went through various hiring processes and found that the number one feedback I was receiving from recruiters was “Not enough experience”, followed by “No real coding proficiency”. Both of these feedbacks I received I was also aware of self-consciously. When I finally came to the realization that I would not get a job without additional schooling/experience. I decided to look for graduate programs near me. At first, I turned to another local University. However upon immediately joining I realized it would not be a fit for me and thankfully through some last-minute miracles. I was able to switch back to my Alma Mater and begin their Software Development Masters program. Currently, I am four days in and I am quite thrilled and excited for the future!

But isn’t a Master’s Degree costly?

Well of course. and that’s what makes it scary. I am spending a lot of money to obtain my Master’s. However, I am doing so in a field that is and always will be exponentially growing and evolving. Finally taking the dive and learning how to design and develop systematic programs and web-based interfaces will be the perfect combination of my already adept UX & UI Design skills. Like every major life decision, it’s a gamble, though I feel confident that the odds are in my favor…