Careers in Customer Experience (CX) have surged in recent years, as organizations increasingly recognize the direct impact of CX investments on building trust, differentiating products, and boosting sales and engagement. In the federal sector, agencies are seeing budget increases for CX initiatives and a growing need to integrate core CX competencies like strategy, accessibility, UI/UX, human-centered design (HCD), and data analysis into their programs and teams. How can CX professionals navigate this growth and build meaningful careers when the options seem endless?
The GovCX Collective and our partners at Tech Flow explored this question at a recent event. We brought together a panel of professionals from government and industry to focus on issues that matter most to four key personas:
- New CX leaders (less than 2 years)
- Established CX leaders or practitioner coaches
- Former CX leaders who returned to individual contributor (IC) roles
- Individuals who established a CX practice and returned to IC roles
Our panelists shared valuable insights that can help CX professionals at every stage of their careers. Here are their biggest lessons.
Lesson 1: Be Knowledgeable on the Basics – and Be Willing to Share
As CX grows in government, professionals at every stage should be well-versed in CX fundamentals to help colleagues in other departments get up to speed. Leaders encourage CX practitioners to assist colleagues who don’t typically engage in CX work to try it out and learn. Sometimes this means going it alone or taking small steps. Regardless, it helps. The more people who understand CX, whether through formal training or informal practice with colleagues, the more unified the organization will be in its approach.
Lesson 2: Moving Up Means Knowing Your Metrics and How to Communicate Them
Measurement is crucial. Successful CX practitioners who want to advance to leadership positions need to understand which metrics matter to the overall success of their efforts, organizations, or missions. Professionals working with government leaders should be familiar with measures for accessibility, cost-savings, social engagement, communications, and change management. Creating simple documentation that can radiate information across teams or agencies is key for advancing as a CX professional.
Lesson 3: Understand Your Own “Why”
As you move into new roles, take a moment to understand your motivations. Why do you want to take on a leadership position in CX? Understand that it means moving away from hands-on work and focusing more on people management and budgets. Alternatively, if you’ve been in leadership for a while and feel disconnected from the work, your “why” for making a change could be very different. Keeping in touch with your internal compass will make you a more impactful professional regardless of the setting or role.
Lesson 4: Ride the Wave
Remember that your CX career path is a journey, not a single destination. Your career will have phases: sometimes it’ll be busy, and other times it will be less so. Acknowledge these phases and make thoughtful changes when needed. Training, networking groups, and mentor programs can help you determine the next step if you’re feeling stuck or help elevate you when you’re ready to take on something new.
By embracing these lessons, CX professionals can navigate the growing landscape of opportunities and build fulfilling, impactful careers.
To see more from this event, you can view the photo album here.
