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If you’ve ever doubted your ability to create career success and a lifestyle you love, Jasmine Wilson is proof that it’s possible.
The 28-year-old UX (user experience) designer earns over $300,000 a year and travels across the country in a van. She’s on a mission to visit as many National Parks as possible while she manages three full-time jobs in UX Design (more on that later).
“I chose van life because I enjoy traveling and being stuck in one place for too long isn’t what I enjoy,” Jasmine wrote on Twitter. “There isn’t one way to live life, I do what I want and what works for me, it may not work for you and that’s fine. I would just rather work at a beach than in an office.”
I think this is a good time for an intro.
Hey, I’m Jasmine. I’m a Sr Product Designer and currently working at a few tech companies and I make 6 figures+ at each of them… that’s how my 9-5 makes me $300k+ a year.
How do I live rent free?
I’m a vanlifer, by choice.
Simple. pic.twitter.com/TjKc30H83L— Jasmine (@247px) June 14, 2021
Last summer, Jasmine knew it was time to make her dream of living the “van life” possible. She purchased a used van under warranty for $25,000 cash and set out on a mission to transform her van into her new home.
But her van makeover was not the only shift that was taking place in her life. Little did she know, she was on the verge of exposing the world to a new career opportunity by sharing her $300,000 job secret: she negotiated full-time offers as a UX designer at three companies based in Austin, Texas.
Business Insider verified the paystubs and offer letters and confirmed that Jasmine is working for three different companies.
Landing Multiple Six-Figure Job Offers
Jasmine graduated from Arizona State University with two degrees. She studied digital-culture arts and graphic information technology. Because she wanted the best of both worlds, she gravitated towards a career in UX design.
According to Career Foundry, UX refers to any interaction a user has with a product or service. UX design considers each and every element that shapes this experience, how it makes the user feel, and how easy it is for the user to accomplish their desired tasks. On your UX design journey, you may also hear about UI (user interface). UX and UI are two different things. Ken Norton, Partner at Google Ventures, noted that “UX is focused on the user’s journey to solve a problem; UI is focused on how a product’s surfaces look and function.”
Jasmine is a self-taught UX design Pro. She spent an entire summer reading blogs and watching YouTube videos to learn the ropes and develop her portfolio. By the end of the summer, she landed her first full-time role in UX Design at a company in San Francisco. Although Jasmine didn’t have formal experience and education, UX design was a natural transition for her. It allowed her to bring all of her skills and passions to the table.
“When I looked at apps in general, I would know when things are wrong,” says Jasmine. “But I had no idea what I was doing could be categorized as a job. When a certain button is out of place, I could call it out before I was a UX designer.”
Another skill that worked in Jasmine’s favor is her communication skills. She was able to nail the strenuous interview processes because she could clearly articulate her unique strengths.
“I didn’t have direct experience,” says Jasmine during an interview with Career Goddess Academy. “But I have done 3D modeling, robotics, web design, coding, and marketing. Those are assets. Knowing what sets you apart from other candidates is key. I negotiated my salary because I knew my value.”
She adds, “My experiences helped me to go into interviews ‘human centered’. That’s important in UX Design. You have to understand people and have soft skills. This helped me explain my processes and decisions during the interview process.”
Jasmine identified her transferable skills and sprinkled keywords throughout her resume to get her in the door. She also highlighted experiences that would be relevant to her role as a UX Designer. For example, Jasmine worked as an AppleCare At-Home Advisor while in college. She was able to help people fix their computers and phones without ever seeing their devices. Since the interview process for UX design can be expensive, Jasmine only interviewed with company’s that were a match for her freedom-loving travel lifestyle.
“One job can consist of six separate interviews, panel, and a design challenge. You have panels where you have to present your portfolio. You may even have to critique apps for an existing company. I was intentional about the interviews I decided to participate in.”
Within a year of landing her first position, she was able to secure additional UX design opportunities.
“I couldn’t decide between two companies so I decided to test both,” Jasmine shared. “It worked because the companies provided a good work-life balance. Each job has set meetings every week. If there is a one on one meeting, I suggest a time. All my calendars are all in one place so it’s easy for me to see when I’m free. I work for startups and mid-size companies and you’re not required to be in meetings all day.”
If you’re looking for resources to help you get started in UX Design, check out this list. If you have additional resources to add to the list, send me a message on Instagram.
- Google UX Design Certificate
- Book: The Design of Everyday Things
- Book: Don’t Make Me Think
- Revision PathNamed one of the Most Inspiring Design Podcast in the Creative Market Awards
- High ResolutionVideo Series on Product Design and Design Thinking
- General Assembly
Note: These items are not recommendations from the Career Goddess Academy. This is a list of resources noted by YouTubers and Bloggers in the UX Design space.
If you’re thinking about becoming a PMP (Project Management Professional), here’s what you should know.
The Ultimate Time Management Formula
Managing one full-time job can be stressful for many people — especially during the pandemic. But Jasmine has been able to manage three jobs and still live a life that aligns with the core of who she is.
“No, it’s not everyone’s dream to work,” Jasmine wrote on Twitter. “I don’t know if it’s anyones but I love what I do and it pays me well so why wouldn’t I do it? When I’m rich I will continue to. I don’t work long hours I work from 7-3 everyday, the same as everyone else.
No it’s not everyone’s dream to work.. hell idk of its anyones but I love what I do and it pays me well so why wouldn’t I do it? When I’m rich I will continue to.
I don’t work long hours I work from 7-3 everyday, the same as everyone else.
— Jasmine (@247px) June 14, 2021
It sounds like Jasmine may need to share her time management secrets with the world soon.
One day (soon-ish, hopefully) I’ll write about how I manage multiple jobs, businesses and traveling. Stress free.
My organization and time management skills now compared to what they used to be is pretty amazing if I do say so myself.
— Jasmine (@247px) July 27, 2021
Although we don’t know Jasmine’s schedule every waking minute of the day, we do know that she’s making the most of her time right now.
“You never know what’s going to happen next,” says Jasmine. “You should do all the things you want to do now. That’s how I’m living life. I had an app before that no one ever knew about because I was too scared to drop it. This year, I launched the app and I’m doing the van life. I just decided to go for it. There’s no telling how much time we have. You have to discover your truth and live it regardless of what anyone thinks about it.”