From Retail Manager to UX Designer: Keisha's Transformation

Keisha had spent 12 years in retail, working her way from sales associate to store manager at a major national retailer. When the pandemic hit and her store permanently closed, she found herself at a crossroads.

"I could have tried to find another retail management job," Keisha says. "But I'd watched the industry struggle for years. I didn't want to spend the next decade worrying about the next closure."

The Retail Trap

Like many retail workers, Keisha had been promoted into management because she was good at her job—but hadn't really chosen the career deliberately.

"I started in retail during college as a part-time job," she explains. "Then I got promoted, then promoted again. Before I knew it, a decade had passed and I was a store manager making decent money but working terrible hours with no clear path forward."

The store closure was devastating—but also clarifying.

"For the first time, I had to ask myself: What do I actually want to do?"

Discovering UX

While collecting unemployment, Keisha spent time exploring different careers. She'd always been drawn to problem-solving and had informally redesigned her store's customer flow multiple times, improving sales metrics.

Through a free online course, she discovered UX (user experience) design—a field focused on understanding users and designing solutions for them.

"It clicked immediately," Keisha says. "All those years in retail, I'd been doing informal UX work—watching how customers moved through the store, what confused them, what made them happy. I just didn't know the vocabulary for it."

The Education Investment

Keisha enrolled in an online UX bootcamp, using a combination of unemployment benefits, savings, and a small loan. The program took nine months.

"It was intense," she recalls. "I was studying 40-50 hours a week while taking care of my kids. There were times I wanted to quit."

Her retail experience became a surprising asset. While other students struggled with concepts like user research and journey mapping, Keisha had done these things intuitively for years in her store.

"I'd interviewed hundreds of customers, observed user behavior, iterated on store layouts based on data. The UX vocabulary was new, but the thinking wasn't."

Building a Portfolio

The hardest part was building a portfolio with no professional design experience. Keisha took on volunteer projects for nonprofits, redesigned apps she used as practice exercises, and documented her process meticulously.

"I treated portfolio building like a job," she says. "Four to five hours a day, every day, for months."

The Job Search

With her bootcamp complete and portfolio ready, Keisha began applying for junior UX positions. The search took six months—longer than she'd hoped.

"There was a lot of rejection," she admits. "Some employers couldn't see past my retail background. Others wanted candidates with more traditional design education."

But Keisha persisted. She networked relentlessly, sharing her story with anyone who would listen. She emphasized how her retail experience informed her user-centered thinking.

Eventually, a hiring manager at a mid-size tech company saw the value in her unconventional background.

"She told me that my customer experience was exactly what they needed," Keisha recalls. "They wanted someone who actually understood users, not just design theory."

The Transformation

Two years into her UX career, Keisha has been promoted to a mid-level designer. Her salary is more than double what she made as a store manager. She works reasonable hours, has weekends off, and can work remotely.

"I went from making $52,000 working 50+ hours a week including every weekend, to making $115,000 working 40 hours from home," she says. "It still doesn't feel real sometimes."

What She'd Tell Others

1. Your experience counts "Everything you've learned is transferable somehow. Customer service, problem-solving, dealing with difficult situations—these skills matter everywhere."

2. Bootcamps can work "You don't need a four-year degree to change careers. Intensive programs can get you there if you commit fully."

3. Your story is an asset "Don't hide your non-traditional background—highlight it. The right employer will see it as unique value."

4. The job search takes time "Six months felt like forever, but looking back, it was worth every difficult day. Don't give up."

5. Retail prepared me more than I knew "All those years of understanding customers, solving problems on the fly, and working under pressure—they made me a better designer."

Beyond the Paycheck

The career change gave Keisha more than financial improvement.

"I feel respected in a way I never did in retail," she says. "People value my expertise. I'm not just managing schedules and dealing with corporate mandates—I'm solving interesting problems."

She also gained stability she never had before.

"In retail, I was always waiting for the next store closure or restructuring. In tech, I feel like I have a future."

A Message to Retail Workers

Keisha often mentors others trying to transition out of retail.

"If I can do this—as a Black woman from retail with no design background—you can too," she says. "The skills you've built in retail are valuable. You just need to find where they fit in a new context."

"Don't let anyone tell you it's too late or that you can't make a big change. Your retail experience taught you more than you realize. Now go find a career that values it."

Names and some details have been changed to protect privacy.

Related Resources:

• Retail Industry Layoff Guide →
• Career Pivot Guide →
• Transferable Skills →
• Certifications →