Everyone Has an Origin Story. We Just Don’t Ask for It.

I was talking with a colleague this week about something we both love about UX: how many people end up here through paths that are anything but straight. 

Over the years, I’ve met UX practitioners who started in anthropology, sociology, IT consulting, medical illustration, customer service, engineering, and more. In pursuit of their chosen path, there's often a defining moment or unexpected detour that reveals a new way forward.

I call this the career origin story, or, "How did you get here, really?" 

Those stories are almost always more interesting than titles or resumes. They reveal a bit about how people think, what they notice, and why they care so deeply about certain problems. They’re also a reminder that most careers are shaped less by careful planning and more by curiosity, circumstance, and a willingness to step off one path and onto another.

Here's mine.

For a long time, the plan was to become an attorney.

Growing up, the message was clear: become a “professional,” which, translated, meant doctor or lawyer. Since anything involving blood or needles was immediately out, law it was! In college, I studied political science and international relations, fully intending to head to law school after graduation.

Except... I didn’t.

I stalled. I hesitated. I couldn’t quite bring myself to commit. What I did need was a paycheck, which led me to a job managing an international youth exchange program. The students wanted to apply online, but we didn’t have an online application. So, I started learning how to code.

I took night classes and earned the now forgotten title of “Web Master.” One of those classes introduced me to user experience, and I had an immediate, visceral reaction to it. Reading the book, "The Psychology of Everyday Things" by Don Norman was like hearing a chorus of angels sing in my head. This was work that combined logic and creativity. Systems and people. Art and organization. I felt like I’d stumbled into a role I didn’t know existed, but had somehow been preparing for all along.

I quit my job (much to my family’s continued horror), and went back to school for Human-Computer Interaction. It was the best career decision I ever made, and I've never looked back.

When I listen to other people’s origin stories now, what strikes me is how rarely they align with the neat narratives we tell ourselves about careers. Most people didn't follow a straight line. They followed the thing that made sense at the time.

Which brings me to a small but surprisingly useful nugget: asking someone their career origin story is one of the best questions you can bring to a networking event, work party, or moment when forced professional conversation starts to stall. It’s much better than, “What do you do?” And it almost always leads somewhere interesting.

Try it next time.

Now you. What's your career origin story?