After discovering her career calling during her first real taste of digital research whilst working at a university, Rachel has built a career in User Research. We caught up with her to learn more about her journey into the Home Office and what she enjoys about her role as a Senior User Researcher.
My career journey started back in 2013. Fresh out of university having graduated with a psychology degree, I took a marketing role for a charity in London before moving into a Tech PR position. However, I was missing the academic side of life and wanted to further my knowledge, so after three years of working. I moved to Sheffield to complete a masters’ degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology, followed by a PhD in Exercise Behaviour Change.
After I completed my PhD I got my first proper taste of research involving technology. I worked at a university as a post-doctoral researcher on behavioural change projects in breast cancer and diabetes, exploring how technology could influence positive behaviour change in patients. It was a great learning opportunity that really helped me to develop my skills and gave me the chance work alongside other researchers and collaborate with a diverse mix of professionals.
Whilst I enjoyed working in academia, I wanted to learn more about research opportunities outside of universities, where I could work as part of a multidisciplinary team. I looked into a number of different career paths and working in the public sector felt like the perfect balance for me, offering me a role where I could develop over time whilst making an impact in public services. I successfully applied for a User Research role at the Home Office and my career has grown from there, including recently being promoted to Senior User Researcher.
Building new UCD teams and designing services to meet user needs.
My day-to-day work is slightly atypical, but a great example of how you can develop in the User Research profession at the Home Office.
Generally, in my day-to-day role, I would be carrying out research with participants on various products or services. This means running interviews, usability testing (taking a participant through a new service design and seeing how they experience it). It’s such an important part of my role as a User Researcher and I enjoy speaking to participants, gaining an understanding of their experience and points of view. It’s also essential that our participants are part of the design process. This means that we can take an evidence-based approach to designing the products we create, making sure that these work for the people that will be using them day-to-day.
Some of the projects that I have worked on have been really interesting. For example, I carried out research for Animals in Science Procedures e-Licensing (ASPeL), Forensic Science, and Risk Assurance. I’ve also done work in developing our Home Office design system which offers guidance to other UCD professionals in understanding how to build user-centred design services. One project that I found really rewarding was carrying out research with those who have visual access needs – for example, those using screen readers. This was an interesting piece of research, and really valuable in my own development as a researcher. It really made me aware how users with access needs interact with our systems, and how our services need to go beyond the initial look. It fully highlighted to me how important it is to consider how services are built upwards from the components, into a usable webpage.
I’ve also been given a fantastic opportunity to build the UCD team in a relatively new area of the Home Office. It’s great to see that the work we do within the profession is growing, and I’ve had lots of people ask for advice and help on user research for certain products being built. This is a great example of how you can take opportunities to further your career here at the Home Office.
A supportive community where you’re encouraged to develop and progress.
Don’t be put off if you don’t have a traditionally ‘technical’ degree or background. There are lots of roles that link into tech at the Home Office and if you’ve built up your skills over time in other roles, you’ll be given the opportunity to bring your knowledge to develop and grow.
There is an amazing UCD community at the Home Office that constantly provides you with learning opportunities and has a really strong sense of togetherness. I also feel that my skills come first and foremost in my role. Being a woman in tech also feels important in a sector that hasn’t always had a lot of female representation. My knowledge, advice and skills are valued by my team, and I’m lucky that I work in an organisation which allows me to develop and learn new skills to progress my career.
The support at the Home Office is also amazing. Last year, I was diagnosed with mild hearing loss and subsequently got hearing aids. My line managers have been great and have helped me formalise not only my working arrangements, but also if I needed to attend appointments, which has been valuable. There is also a fantastic community for those who are deaf/hard of hearing, which I am now a part of.
