Senior Product Designr Review

In my role I focus solely on design products for our clients, across a wide range of financial services offerings. I look after the whole product for the entire product lifecycle, from concept, to user research, requirements gathering, business analysis, sketching, prototyping, usability testing with clients, and user acceptance testing after build. I am also involved with product marketing planning and performance, and user feedback.

Many new skills! I've learned design and design thinking, wireframing and prototyping on Figma, workshop facilitation on Miro, plus more business-related skills such as stakeholder management, strategizing, and business analysis. I started as someone who'd never worked at corporate before and so everything was new to me, and I was very supported in my learning journey.

Very much, the content was interesting and delivered in a good way. Some of the modules on my course weren't as well structured and there was some confusion sometimes over the course admin. But on the whole the tutors were great, the assessments were varied, and I gained useful feedback.

I was able to organise my learning very well in that I was allocated 1 study day a week for the duration of my course. This helped me plan time to complete the module assessments and watch any lectures I had missed. The tutors helped me plan my workload by giving me an overview of the upcoming assessments.

Lots and lots of support! I had ample study time a week so I didn't have to spend my free time outside of work (evenings and weekends) completing my course. They also gave me extra time away from work to take extra CPD courses that were a part of my degree course.

I had a great skills coach who supported me with the assignments, particularly with my portfolio that I completed throughout the degree. He would give me feedback on it before I submitted it so that I was confident in the quality of work I had produced. He also helped me with the admin part of the course.

It helped give me a good foundational knowledge of the business I work in and how the company operates. So on a basic level the qualification helped me. For the more specialised skillset required in my role, I learned that mainly through on the job experience rather than the degree itself.

Yes, there are many networks and groups that meet up in person and online across the different offices. The groups revolve around many things such as LGBTQ+, faith, interests, wellbeing etc. There are several sports clubs that meet in person such as the football team, rock climbing, winter sports, and other things.

Yes

There is a very strong focus on people, their growth paths, their wellbeing, their learning, and their potential. The culture is very friendly and its easy to make friends with your colleagues. I think its quite different to other professional services firms in that way. So I would definitely recommend a friend to work here.

Be open and be yourself when going through the application process. Curiosity is a good trait to display, as well as having an innovative mindset. Ask questions to your interviewers, and if you need any adjustments to be made, don't be afraid to ask for them. Overall its a good process to go through!