Springboard has graduated 15,000 students across our course offerings. In this series, we sit down with some of the students who inspire us and help share their story.
Kashif Ross used Springboard’s UX Design Bootcamp to transition from teaching to UX Design. Here’s his story.
I tell everyone that I never changed professions. A good teacher is someone who leaves their classroom to be a blank canvas. Teachers survey their students to determine what methods help them learn and grow. We have to watch micro changes in a student’s behavior to make sure that they are mentally present and ready to learn. That’s what I do as a designer.
I also have a research background, working for several universities for a few years. So I saved a lot of time during the research portion of the course by utilizing my prior knowledge.
I had a lot of support from my wife. She helped watched the kids while I spent my time on a computer. Additionally, I worked too much. I spent over 60 hours per week on assignments, catching up on the weekends whenever I was behind.
I also had a lot of support from Springboard. John (my mentor) was the best thing ever. John was a beast! I once submitted 11 detailed assignments and he read and rejected a ton. He wasn’t satisfied with my work and expected more. Having someone push me was vital.
Calvin, my career coach, was just as special. He was the one always feeding me compliments while providing feedback on my job search strategy.
My mentors were the most valuable resources that Springboard provided me. The quality of strong mentors and coaches can’t be understated. It was the actual reason that I chose a bootcamp. I wanted to have a mentor that could provide me with the right feedback. And I think it’s genius that we have an online mentor, Andre. He helped me push out more assignments with confidence, providing only tidbits of feedback. He is a master of not overwhelming you with words.
Ready to start or grow your Design Career? Check out our UX Design Bootcamp —you’ll learn the skills and get the personalized guidance you need to land the job you want.
