Hey everyone! Lachlan Phelan here, and I wanted to share a bit about my transition into the world of UX/UI design. It wasn’t an easy path, but finding the right support made all the difference.

The Frustration That Fueled the Change

I’ve always had design as my core career goal, with a BA (Hons) in Product Design Innovation under my belt. However, actually breaking into the market was a huge challenge. For a long time, I found myself in customer service roles. These jobs paid the bills, but they weren’t where my passion was—in fact, my high dislike for these tedious positions was the exact push I needed to keep chasing the design career I truly wanted.

The Missing Piece: Real-World Mentorship

I’d tried it all: academic courses, degrees, and countless hours of self-learning online. But there was one massive, critical thing missing: experience and guidance from REAL, industry-active designers.

I honestly thought a mentorship or apprenticeship in design wasn’t something that existed. So, when I stumbled across UX Tree Mentorship on LinkedIn, I was absolutely delighted.

What made UX Tree unbeatable?

• 1:1 Mentoring: Getting personalised, focused advice.
• Industry Connections: Feedback and guidance from active professionals—not just a generic online portal.
• A Tight-Knit Community: Being part of a small group of talented designers was motivating and invaluable.

The Most Valuable (and Nerve-Wracking!) Part

The biggest impact on my learning came from the presenting and getting feedback sessions. Honestly, presenting was (and still is!) a nerve-wracking situation for me. I found it very difficult, but by pushing through, I was met with such great and valuable feedback from both the mentors and the mentees.

The ability to get feedback from multiple mentors during these sessions was particularly beneficial. It brought various perspectives from different industry experts—having access to these people to ask specific design questions was incredibly valuable and set the program apart.

Outcomes: From Mentorship to Permanent Role!

The structure of the program helped keep me accountable with weekly check-ins, ensuring my project was on the right path. As a result, I was able to build a brand new portfolio project that was a fantastic showcase of real-world UX work.

And the best part? That portfolio helped me land a UX internship at Eaton, which has thankfully since turned into a permanent role as a UX/UI designer!

Advice for Aspiring Designers

Before UX Tree, I felt like the design world was impossible to break into. But the mentorship changed my mindset and showed me a community of designers who genuinely want to help you succeed.

My advice to anyone with a similar background looking to make the transition is simple:

1. Believe in yourself. Don’t get caught up in the technicalities of tools and design systems. Consistency and practice will improve those skills over time.
2. Don’t give up hope in a tough job market. Give yourself concrete deadlines for reaching out to people and applying for jobs. The more you send out, the better your chances—just remember to not take rejections personally.

Anyone can learn these skills. It just takes consistency and time!