Are Human Factors Students Prepared for Careers in User Experience Research? A Survey of Predicted and Actual Skill Utilization

User Experience Research (UXR) is a growing field and an attractive option for HF students post-graduation. However, previous research has shown that HF students do not feel prepared for careers in UXR. The goal of this work was to gather information about student expectations about what they imagine that they might actually spend time doing if they were to become a UXR professional, and then to compare those expectations to reality, i.e., how UXR professionals actually spend their time. Survey results revealed some differences between student estimates and professional reports of skill frequency, and an overestimate the frequency with which students would utilize UXR skills in general. As a result, students lack discrimination to identify which skills are actually most important, i.e. delivering research communications and interviewing. Implications for students and recommendations for future training programs are discussed.