Unexpected Paths: From Soldier to UX Researcher

William Althoff, Lead UX Researcher 

My journey to UX was as straight as a winding river, but it has been a great adventure. I started my first career when I joined the U.S. Army as an 18-year-old healthcare specialist. When I returned home from Afghanistan, I decided it was time to switch careers and took my first steps towards my second career by pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology; look out world, I was going to go to medical school and become a psychiatrist! It turns out, however, that I had no interest in being a healthcare provider, clinical psychologist, or any type of counselor. I had just returned from Afghanistan, and I found it challenging to learn how to help other people with their mental health. So, what did that mean? Yep, career #3. 

I had tremendous success working towards career #3. In my university's research lab, I led research projects, resulting in several first-author publications. I even secured acceptance into a Ph.D. program in Human Factors and Applied Cognition at another university. The program focused on automation, automated advisor systems, and reliance/compliance with these systems. I truly enjoyed the subject matter, but with a new family to consider, staying in Houston became a priority. Enter Scene: career number four.

UX Researcher is not something I ever envisioned myself doing with my career, but I have truly enjoyed it. I am someone who enjoys working and collaborating with people, solving complex puzzles and problems, and conducting scientific research; UX Research checks all of these boxes. Since I have become the Lead UX Researcher at End to End, I have also resumed a leadership role, which is something I have always thrived in. UX Research is a great crossroads for anyone interested in psychology, behavioral sciences, engineering, medicine, retail, programming: you name it. You get to study behavior and make a real, tangible difference in the products and systems that we all use every single day. Definitely recommend, 5 Stars.