From Paralegal to Senior UX Researcher: How Nimco Doubled Her Salary with TCA
May 23, 2025Introduction: Breaking Free From Career Stagnation
Have you ever felt trapped in a career that no longer excites you, knowing you have potential for something better but unsure how to make the leap? This was exactly where Nimco found herself while working as a paralegal in a law firm for several years.
Finding the Path Forward: Discovering User Research
Nimco's journey began when her friend Haddy told her about a User Research course at The Career Accelerators (TCA). Haddy explained that the skills required were similar to what Nimco had done academically, but more structured and hands-on.
Although interested, Nimco couldn't join immediately alongside Haddy due to work commitments. When Haddy completed the program and shared her positive experience, including tripling her salary (read Haddy's story here), particularly praising the instructor Ben's teaching style, Nimco knew she needed to make time for this opportunity.
The Learning Experience: TCA's User Research Program
When Nimco finally enrolled, she found the course straightforward and appreciated Ben's clear explanations. Though she couldn't attend every session, she made the most of the classes she did attend. However, just as she completed the program, life threw her a curveball – she broke her shoulder during a holiday and was unable to work for a period of 4 months.
Turning Setbacks into Opportunities
This setback could have derailed her career transition, but Nimco used this recovery time strategically. She continued learning about user research on her own and started applying for jobs using her newly optimized CV. Initially, she received no responses – a frustrating experience that many career-changers know all too well.
The Strategic Advantage: Understanding Market Requirements
Instead of giving up, Nimco took action. She connected with her mentor and realized that in the UK market, government digital service (GDS) experience was crucial for user researcher roles. She learnt about GDS, updated her resume to include GDS, and everything changed.
"Once I put that on my CV, that's when people started contacting me like it was a lot," she explains.
Building Interview Confidence: A Learning Process
Her first interviews were challenging – she struggled with confidence and relied heavily on reading from notes. In one early interview, when asked about usability testing, she completely forgot what she had learned. "My confidence was knocked down heavily at that point," she admits.
Nimco initially relied on having interview notes during the remote interviews, but with each interview, Nimco grew more confident and less dependent on these notes. Through perseverance, then came the breakthrough – a company contacted her via LinkedIn about a user researcher position.
The Rigorous Interview Process
The interview process was rigorous, involving three stages:
- An initial one-hour interview about her experience
- A presentation (for which her friend Haddy shared a previous case study to help her prepare)
- A final interview with the UCD manager
Despite feeling uncertain about her performance in the final stage, Nimco received an unexpected call.
The Life-Changing Outcome
"They called me back and said, 'We're happy to give you the job as a Senior User Researcher'," Nimco shares, still sounding surprised by the outcome.
After going through approximately eight interviews with various companies, Nimco landed not just any position, but a permanent Senior User Researcher role with a salary of over £60,000 –doubling her previous earnings.
What This Means For Your Career Journey
Nimco's journey from paralegal to Senior User Researcher demonstrates that with the right guidance, persistence, and willingness to adapt, career transformation is possible even when the path includes setbacks and self-doubt.
Haddy tripled her salary, Nimco doubled her salary, what are you waiting for?
Take Action Now
If you're considering a career change but feel uncertain about taking the first step, remember Nimco's words: "I tried. I didn't give up, so I'm glad I didn't." Your new career could be just one course and a few interviews away.
Book a free consultation with The Career Accelerators today and take the first step toward your own success story.
