All posts tagged: Featured

My First Week as a UX Researcher

Published by Kima Rodriguez

Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc. This question resonated with me because I never got to share my experience of the first day as a UX Researcher, not even during my first job at a tech company. I’ll divide my answer into two parts: first, my experience with my first job at an agency, and second, my most recent and current role at a product company. Qairos Asia My first week as a UX Researcher felt like a dream come true. I was nervous, overwhelmed, and questioning: Did I make it? One of the main reasons I struggle with confidence when socializing is my fear and hesitation to feel comfortable around others again. This started during the pandemic when lockdowns forced us into isolation. At the time, I managed our small family business and did side hustles remotely, with minimal interaction beyond my family. This lack of social engagement significantly impacted my ability to connect with others and took a toll on my mental health, especially …

ALT Mive Style FOlder Flip Phone

Love at First Flip

Published by Kima Rodriguez

Minimalism is about simplifying your life by focusing on what truly matters and letting go of excess stuff. Digital minimalism does the same with technology. It helps you use your devices and apps more mindfully. This approach helps you avoid digital distractions. Both aim to create more space for what’s important. One focuses on physical things. The other focuses on your digital life. Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time on my smartphone. I mostly watch short videos, read comments, and get caught up in content. It’s starting to take a toll on my mental health, and I realize it’s affecting how I feel overall. My screen time is consistently around 7-10 hours a day. I spend most of this time on social media. Somehow, I still managed to get work done during all that time. How do I even juggle both? It’s crazy, lol! I’ve decided to gradually reduce my social media usage, starting with Instagram, X, and TikTok. I can’t promise I’ve completely quit them, but I’ve cut back. Still, there are …

How will I overcome Impostor Syndrome?

Published by Kima Rodriguez

What is Impostor Syndrome? Impostor Syndrome is a psychological occurrence or a condition of feeling anxious, doubting skills, talents, accomplishments, or not believing in oneself. Challenge Lately, I find myself afraid and anxious about my skills in the company I am now working at. There are times that my confidence are getting low just because I think I am not good and reliable enough to do the job I need to do. I know that these feelings are just in the mind. But still, I want to express it here so it won’t stay in my head. I have no one to share this kind of feeling because I don’t want to bring negative energy to others. Solution The only way I know to address this is by atomically changing my daily habits because it can impact the way neurons work, especially if the habits are repeatedly undergone. In continuing this, I know I will develop a new behavior that can change how I perceive myself.

UXR-niversary!

Published by Kima Rodriguez

Today is an important day for me. I will never forget this day and cherish it for the rest of my life! Backstory I started transitioning my career during the pandemic while managing my family business. I researched and upskilled. My dream is to work in tech. Work from home with your PC/laptop and working. It’s fun and exciting because I came from a working environment that needs to be physically present, shifting, and do over time. At first, I was ok with it, but I knew this was not what I wanted. That’s the reason I pursue my dream job. I know it’s risky because I need to start from scratch again, but it’s ok. I know I can do this! When I was in high school, I was sure that I wanted a computer career. I love computers! That’s my favourite subject and the organization I joined back then. We call our group “Charle’s Babbage Club.” I don’t know. It sounds weird now, but back then, it was awesome, hahaha. Challenges After graduation, …

The Role of Faith in My Job Search Success

Published by Kima Rodriguez

Life is full of unpredictable events and scenarios. I can’t tell why everything happened, but I know it is God’s will. Now I am writing because I have good news. As you can see in the picture, I received my employment ID. EMPLOYMENT ID!! 🤗 I am sharing with you that I have finally been hired and started working at Booky! I didn’t expect this to happen in my life. But with God’s plan and blessing, I knew this was all he wanted for me. When I got laid off, I cried and cried and thought, what if no company would accept me? What if I am unemployed forever? I started hating myself at that time, but things changed. I saw the job posting and wondered whether I should apply or just let it go. Thankfully, I did! Backstory My heart leaped when I received a call from HR about my initial interview schedule. I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness, especially since I was still in a somewhat sorrowful state of mind. During …

This is my keyboard.

I applied and got rejected, and it’s okay.

Published by Kima Rodriguez

My favorite month is about to end; whether I like it or not, I can’t do anything but accept and go with the flow of life. I’ve been surviving 2023 with a growth mindset; however, pressure kills my vibe. Looking back when 2023 just came in, but now the second month of 2023 is about to end, it hit me how time changes so fast. Why so fast? I’m scared that I might end up accomplishing nothing this year. I’m afraid that I won’t finish all my goals. Monthly check I’m starting a monthly check, and it’s the overall achievement and accomplishments I’ve made this month. I want to help myself to stay on track. I believe with this kind of mentality and accountability, I can realign my goals and system. This monthly check is the only way I can help myself by doing my best and becoming consistent in my agendas. Job hunting Since I finished my Google UX Specialization, I started to build up my portfolio using Behance and updated my resume. I …

Why User Experience?

Published by Kima Rodriguez

I’m constantly encountering this question whenever I’m communicating with recruiters during interviews or with colleagues and friends. One of my “common” (because I encounter it all the time) problems is that I don’t know what and where I’m good at. This is also why I look around to find my way. A road that I can turn to keep my engine moving and enjoy my journey. Love at first sight I stumbled upon user experience in the book The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman and vloggers, so I researched more about it, read articles, and attended courses and conferences. The good thing is that I’m enjoying it. At first, I was not fully committed because I was weighing things out. Still, as time went to by, I also realized that this was the kind of work I always dreamed about – working for products, doing research, collecting users’ insights, improving the outcomes and process, designing, and working with a team of creatives. I love that. Am I fit? As someone with a background in …

Something about 28th

Published by Kima Rodriguez

I’m turning 28 in a few days, and here I am, still in the same boat as before. I wonder where this pressure and fear come from, but I do feel that turning 28 in this state is not something that I wish about. I always overthink and ask myself these questions “What happened?”, “Is this the end?”, “Will I still be able to achieve my dreams?” and “Until when will I stay this way?” Turning 28 with no job, savings, or career is something that all people are scared about. I can’t blame anyone, though I know I am the only one responsible for my life. I am still lucky to live in a house with food to eat and water to drink. I’m a failure but a learner I failed in different scenarios in my life. I don’t know where it all starts, but from the very first, I don’t know what I want. When I entered college, I was undecided. I wanted a computer-related course, but then I took Biology because my parents …

My thoughts for a Career Change

Published by Kima Rodriguez

Hello everyone, I hope you are all well despite this heavy rainy season. I am currently on the edge of planning to change my career. I will do a separate post about it. So now, I’m attending free online courses and still planning on getting the paid online classes for my career. Recently, I started enrolling in Coursera on writing a novel course. I want to learn new things that I know I am competitive and passionate about applying and developing my character. Writing is one of my outlets in this painful world. I’m still focusing on finding the path that is meant for me to be successful and stable. I still envy those people who can do anything in any field without struggling because they are naturally born geniuses. (Sana all) Planning to enroll in the Google IT Support courses, and I applied for Financial Aid. They will email me after 15 days upon application if I am eligible or not. I will still share my career change journey and the dos and don’ts …