#122- Exploring UX Research Career Options with Marieke McCloskey of LinkedIn

<p>What are the best UX career options? How do you vet a potential employer to ensure it’s the right fit? Should you join a smaller firm that offers plenty of autonomy and flexibility, or does it make more sense to work for a larger company with a ton of resources? Erin, JH, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariekemccloskey/">Marieke McClosky</a>, Director of UX Research at LinkedIn, address these questions, examining UX research as a career and a practice as they discuss Marieke’s journey as a UX researcher. </p> <p><br></p> <p><strong>In this episode, we discuss:</strong></p> <ul> <li><p>Navigating a career path in UX research</p> </li> <li><p>Making career moves that align with your goals</p> </li> <li><p>How to start a career in UX research</p> </li> <li><p>Pros and cons of different working environments </p> </li> <li><p>Vetting potential employers</p> </li> </ul> <p><strong>Highlights</strong></p> <ul> <li><p>[01:27] Marieke’s first job was at Nielsen Norman Group</p> </li> <li><p>[04:42] The benefits of working at a large organization like LinkedIn</p> </li> <li><p>[7:12] Getting started with– choosing a direction when you are new to UX research</p> </li> <li><p>[12:57] How to vetMarieke shares valuable advice on vetting employers</p> </li> <li><p>[19:37] How does the UX research team come up with research questions?</p> </li> <li><p>[25:29] TJH summarizes the differences between working at a large company vs. a smaller firm</p> </li> <li><p>[39:24] The best thing about consulting is “the breadth of who you get to work with, the different industries, different teams”</p> </li> </ul> <p><strong>Sources mentioned in the episode:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://userinterviews.com/awkward">userinterviews.com/awkward</a></p> <p><br></p> <p><strong>About our guest</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariekemccloskey/">Marieke McCloskey</a> is the Director of UX Research at LinkedIn. For over a decade, she has worked as a UX researcher and consultant with the world’s m