When I graduated from university, I transitioned straight into freelancing, which was definitely throwing myself in the deep end. I was forced to teach myself a lot on the spot, from running my own admin and invoicing, to getting immersed in the few businesses that I was working for and learning new skills. It was sink or swim.

While I was certainly feeling free in freelancing, I was essentially on my own and had no-one to guide me or give me feedback before presenting work to my clients. At each of the businesses that I was freelancing at I was the only Designer, let alone UX Designer. While I don’t think that’s inherently a bad thing, I do believe that when you’re starting out at anything, having someone with experience that can give you feedback and help steer you in the right direction is incredibly beneficial.

In the past, whenever I’ve learnt an instrument, my development has been accelerated by playing alongside more experienced musicians who have positively influenced how I play. This was part of the reason why when I heard about Genus six months into freelancing, I knew I needed to apply. I wanted the opportunity to learn from much more experienced peers. I was also surprised to see that it didn’t seem like they expected you to start by knowing everything. I had far too often read this line in job descriptions:

‘This is a junior position. Minimum three years’ experience.’

While experience isn’t the expectation of a CX Lavender grad, diligence, tenacity and initiative are. After all, it’s up to grads to make the most of the opportunity they’re given. The Genus program has provided me with the nurturing environment that I had been looking for when I was freelancing. Whether that had been by asking my peers questions about anything (everyone is always kind and open to help you out) or looking over samples of previous work in my free time, there have always been opportunities to understand what the finished product should look like and how to best get there.

Genus is all about building your confidence and developing a well-rounded, professional attitude that will set you up for your whole career. Having time to reflect on my progress and regularly check in with my manager about my direction and where I can improve, helps me frame my learning and improve for the future.

I started small, but thanks to the nurture and support I received, plus the effort I put in, I have learnt something new every day and have quickly taken on more complex tasks and projects. CX Lavender’s commitment to hire and train their own graduates and trust them to grow and succeed within the business is something that is invaluable in an ever-changing industry like this.