Heekyung Hope Hahn is a Cornell Human Ecology alumni who graduated in 2017 majoring in Design and Environmental Analysis. She is currently pursuing her Master of Science degree part-time while working as a Senior User Experience Designer at Ernst & Young.
Below is an interview with Heekyung where she shares her experience as a Human Ecology undergraduate, strategies to network and find mentors, her advice regarding skills and internships, and much more!
Q: What is your work like? Could you tell me a little about who you are?
A: I graduated from Cornell in 2017 as a Design and Environmental Analysis major and Information Science minor. Having this blend of design backgrounds helped me develop skills in design research, human factors, and interaction design. Now I use those skills in my role as an Experience Design Consultant at EY.
Q: What do you enjoy the most about being a Senior User Experience Designer?
A: The problems we solve are complex and we have the opportunity to make a big impact on many people. Most of the clients I work with are new to design thinking and it’s rewarding to introduce them to a new way of thinking and persuade them to shift towards human-centric design.
Q: What was your CHE undergraduate experience like? What were you involved in during your undergraduate years?
A: I used my undergrad years to explore many different design fields through classes and extracurriculars. I really enjoyed my project-based classes like the DEA 4402 Competitions Studio, INFO 3450 Human-Computer Interaction Design, and MAE 4340 Innovative Product Design via Digital Manufacturing class because these classes allowed us to learn by doing. Outside of class, I was involved in a variety of different project teams like CUSD, Design Connect, and the SA Infrastructure Committee.
Q: Do you have advice for undergraduate students who are searching for jobs and internships?
A: Practice makes perfect. Whether it’s crafting a resume or preparing for an interview, get feedback from those around you and practice interviewing with friends, family, and of course the CEC.
Q: What are some strategies you use to successfully network?
A: In this digital age, there are so many events now online. Definitely take advantage of networking events on campus, but also open yourself up to online events. Meetup and Eventbrite are great places to find design events that are open to everyone. I really enjoy the Service Design Network Meetups and Creative Mornings Events.
Q: What are your recommendations for finding, cultivating, and best working with mentors?
A: When reaching out for a coffee chat, show that you genuinely care about the person’s work. I’ve been in situations where I’ve met students for coffee chats, only to find out they wanted to meet with me to ask for a job and didn’t even know what I did for work. There’s nothing wrong with self-advocating and being honest with what you’re looking for, but it’s important to do your research and have intention behind why you’re asking to meet.
Q: Are there skills or internships that you think students should focus on right now, which could be advantageous in multiple professions in the future?
A: Wherever you go, I would recommend talking to people in the fields you’re interested to understand what the minimum required technical skills are. Once you have the minimum competency required, you can start building skills that are interesting to you and will make your skillset unique.
Q: How did you personally use your Human Ecology education to add value to your career journey?
A: Human Ecology taught me how to practically apply what I learned.
Q: What advice would you give to your undergraduate self?
A: College is one of the few times where you have the opportunity to explore and learn about things that you didn’t even know existed. I wish I could have told my undergraduate self to take more classes that interested me and not to worry about taking classes purely to boost my resume. The classes that still stick with me are the classes that were most interesting to me.