A few years ago, when I started diving into the UX design world, I came across a ton of certification options. The question I asked myself was: “Do I really need this?” Of course, everyone said that having a certification is almost a requirement to work in UX, but I wasn’t so sure.
In the end, what I learned was that, while certifications can be useful to solidify certain knowledge or to polish your CV, they aren’t the most important thing. For me, what really pushed me forward was hands on experience: creating prototypes, running user tests, talking to clients, making mistakes, and learning from them. Certifications are just a piece of paper, while real world experience is what prepares you to solve day to day problems.
Sometimes, I feel like many people focus too much on certifying everything they learn. But that’s not always necessary. The industry values your projects, your ability to communicate your ideas, and how you solve real problems much more.
If you’re new to UX, I’d suggest focusing on learning through practice: running tests and gathering real feedback. If you can get a certification, great! But don’t rely on it as your only path forward.
If you’d like to chat more about this or have questions about your UX journey, feel free to reach out. You can send me a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn, or simply email me at sergio@sgualda.com.