tech
I Landed a Big Tech AI Job. Treating My Career Like a Science Lab Helped Me Overcome My Fear of Learning AI.
A product designer shares how embracing her inner "mad scientist" and experimenting with AI helped her land a job at Adobe, with no formal background in machine learning.
TL;DR
- Nitya Kumar, 25, an Adobe employee, landed a UX design job at Adobe after transitioning from Meta.
- She adopted a 'science lab' approach to her career, focusing on experimentation rather than just upward mobility.
- Kumar taught herself AI skills through YouTube and friends, experimenting with tools like Cursor and Gemini.
- She developed a 'vibe coding' workflow and created quirky AI projects, such as a gesture-detecting dance game and a matcha recipe generator.
- These experiments helped her gain confidence and stand out in interviews for AI-related roles.
- After about four months of AI experimentation, she started her UX design role at Adobe in November 2025, focusing on agentic AI experiences.
- At Adobe, she leads AI playground workshops for her design team, sharing skills and fostering collaboration on AI workflows.
- Her 'science lab' strategy enabled her to transition into an AI role and succeed in it, enhancing her creativity and design skills.