The Minimalist Career Changer shares with readers your experiences and lessons learned so they can break into the product design field quickly and efficiently. Why was this an important book for you to write?

When I was changing my career from architecture to product design, I learned many lessons the hard way. The transition turned out to be much harder than I expected. While the information I gathered from many people and articles was, no doubt, helpful, I still struggled along the way. I didn’t find an actionable, insightful, and plain-speaking guide that put everything in one place. I always wanted to write a book that I wish existed when I was switching my career as a busy architect. After having helped hundreds of people change careers over the years, I hoped to share the best insights I learned so others can break into the field with ease and land their dream jobs as fast as possible. They deserve better.

What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?

I shared many ideas in different areas including mindsets, presentations, portfolios, project selection, interviews, resumes, and personal branding. One key idea was the “working backward” mindset. I noticed many career changers had wasted a lot of time because they were following a linear approach, often influenced by boot camps. Had they known early on how interviewers evaluate candidates in the interviews, they could have prioritized time and effort wisely on things that matter the most.

Another idea was the importance and tactics of presenting case studies in the interviews. Many people scrambled to prepare for presentations right before the interviews, but they struggled to put together a cohesive, compelling story. I believe that they can start crafting the story intentionally long before the interviews.

What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you earlier in your career?

Talk to many people who have real experience in the field. Present your case studies to them and ask for feedback. Gain clarity of your weaknesses and be brave enough to make radical improvements to your work.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from your book?

Career transition doesn’t have to take that long if you have a strong desire, some self-awareness, and proper game plans.

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