what journey level experience

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What is a Journeyman's Card?

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A journeyman’s card or journey-level certification is a credential that signifies a person has completed a certain level of training and education in a skilled trade or craft. It is commonly associated with apprenticeship programs, where individuals undergo a structured training process to become proficient in a specific trade.

The Significance of a Journeyman's Card

Completion of Apprenticeship: Typically, a journeyman’s card is awarded upon successful completion of an apprenticeship program. Apprenticeships involve a combination of on-the-job training and classroom instruction, and achieving journeyman status indicates that the individual has acquired the necessary skills and knowledge to work independently in their chosen trade.

Recognition of Skill Level: The journeyman status recognizes a certain level of proficiency and competence in the trade. It indicates that the individual has moved beyond the beginner or apprentice stage and has gained a solid foundation of experience and expertise.

Industry Standards: Many industries have established standards for training and certification to ensure that workers have the necessary skills to perform their jobs safely and effectively. The journeyman’s card is often aligned with these industry standards and serves as a way for employers, customers, and regulatory bodies to verify an individual’s qualifications.

Career Advancement: Holding a journeyman’s card is often a prerequisite for further career advancement in the skilled trades. It may open up opportunities for higher-paying positions, supervisory roles, or even the possibility of becoming a master craftsman.

Portability: A journeyman’s card can be portable, meaning it may be recognized across different employers or regions. This can be particularly important for individuals in construction, manufacturing, and other trades where workers may move between projects or locations.

Quality Assurance: For employers, hiring individuals with journeyman status provides a level of assurance regarding the skills and capabilities of the workforce. It can contribute to maintaining quality standards in the products or services delivered by a company.

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A journeyman’s card is a tangible symbol of accomplishment and expertise in a skilled trade. It plays a crucial role in the professional development of individuals in the trades and helps maintain standards within industries.

Apprentice vs. Journeyman: What is the Difference?

• November 6, 2018

Table of Contents

Getting into construction and becoming a journeyman is the single greatest opportunity of our generation for millennials.

Forbes has reported that as of 2018 there are approximately 44 million borrowers who collectively owe $1.5 trillion in student loan debt.

If you are reading this, you were probably sold the College degree pipe dream, or maybe you are getting ready to graduate high school and trying to figure out your next step. 

The traditional college route may work for some, but make no mistake about it. The world is changing fast. Gone are the days where companies were willing to hire and invest money into someone solely for their college degree.

What were once high-paying stable careers are being replaced at the drop of a hat either by technology or cheaper overseas labor. In today’s marketplace, you have to bring tangible skills to the table.

You must deliver value and become a critical piece of someone’s business.

A lucrative career with little investment

I spent years working with tradesmen across the country helping them get licensed, set up businesses, obtain certifications, and further their careers.

 I met 25-year-old landscapers making as much as doctors, plumbers earning six figures, and electricians supporting their families very comfortably. 

Staffing firms around the country consistently report skilled trades (carpentry, electrical, plumbing, welding, bricklayers, masons, and more) as the hardest positions to fill.

With the construction industry set to reach $1 Trillion in 2019, investing in yourself and choosing a career in the construction trades is one of the smartest investments you can make in yourself.

A fundamental step in becoming a top earner within the construction is by becoming a journeyman. This article will break down everything you need to know about finding an apprenticeship program and becoming a journeyman in your trade.

What the term “Apprenticeship” means

Apprenticeships are training programs for someone learning a trade or vocational area of expertise. Apprenticeships exist in many different fields.

Within the construction industry, they can be official schools but also could also be an unofficial association between a master tradesman and a beginner.

Some apprenticeships are paid on the job training, while others may take place in a school setting with certifications or job placement gained at the end. 

What apprenticeship should I do?

The answer to this question depends on what you see yourself doing as a career.

Maybe you have always had an interest in taking things apart and rebuilding them, and the technical aspect of electrical work makes sense for you.

Perhaps you have a family member who is a plumber or landscaper and have some knowledge already.

There are apprenticeships in a variety of trades including:

• Electrical 
• Welding 
• Carpentry 
• Roofing 
• Landscaping
• and many more

All trades provide a high income once you reach a certain level, so choosing an apprenticeship should primarily be based on your interests and current skill set.

Official apprenticeships are registered with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship.

How long is an apprenticeship?

Apprenticeship programs vary in length depending on the trade. Every construction trade is different and requires a different level of competency to begin working professionally.

Generally, they can be about 2 years, but some may last up to 6 years or need a certain amount of registered hours or testing to be completed.

Age requirements and costs of apprenticeships

Most apprenticeships require you to be at least 18 years old.

However, many will accept you at 16 with permission from your parents. 

• Applicants for formal apprenticeships must hold a high school diploma or GED.
• Often there are basic math skills and physical ability standards that must be met, however, this may vary depending on the area of expertise.

In California alone, 1,400 programs are serving 73,000 apprentices, so the opportunities are there.

• The cost of a construction apprenticeship program again depends on what kind of program you are looking for. 
• One thing I can guarantee is that it is way cheaper than paying the University of fill in the blank $40,000 per year for a degree in sociology.

What is a journeyman?

“ A person who has completed an apprenticeship program or is an experienced worker, not a trainee, and is fully qualified and able to perform a specific trade without supervision ” – CSLB.GOV

Similar to an apprentice, the term journeyman is used across a variety of different professions. In the context of construction, a journeyman is pretty much someone that knows enough about their job to work on a job site without being supervised and take over operations if necessary.

Journeyman experience

Construction trades vary regarding the amount of information one may need to know to achieve journeyman level, so again this term can be relative.

For example, A journeyman landscaper may have taken a shorter time to achieve journeyman status than an electrician.

Furthermore, certain areas within the construction industry require testing to achieve journeyman level. 

In the state of California, getting a contractor license requires that you prove 4 years of journey-level experience. This experience must be confirmed by a contractor, fellow journeyman, fellow employee, or supervisor.

Journeyman exam

A journeyman exam refers to an exam that may be required of a tradesman to achieve a particular pay grade or level of licensing.

Journey exams typically are required of trades where the direct safety of the public is associated with that area of expertise.

In California, Electricians have strict standards of examinations and certification before they can be considered journeyman or contractors. 

Trades related to the foundational or structural integrity of buildings often must take journeyman exams.

Whether or not a journeyman has to complete exams often depends on the state and the level of regulation that may or may not exist there.

In some states an individual journeyman level status before issuing permits, creating plans, or becoming an instructor.

Joining the Construction Union

To join a construction union, you must be a journeyman-level tradesman. There are a variety of benefits of joining a construction union including higher wages, benefits, working conditions, and increased bargaining power.

Many journeyman-level tradesmen join unions to achieve a level of stability and continue mastering their trade in hopes of one day having their own business.​

For a deeper look at construction unions. Check out this article.

Career options for journeyman level tradesman

There are several different career paths within the construction industry.

Once a tradesman has established a certain level of expertise, the area in which they choose to work professionally depends on their personality and income goals.

Some individuals are naturally business-minded and decide to become contractors. Some tradesmen prefer the idea of earning a steady paycheck and performing their trade on a daily basis.

For a more in-depth look at the different career options and job titles for a journeyman, tradesman… check out this article.

How to get a Contractor License​

A Contractor is someone who has demonstrated a certain level of knowledge and expertise not only in their trade but also LAW and the management of money.

In California, a contractor must prove 4 years of journeyman-level experience and pass a two-part exam.

Getting a contractor license differs from state to state. In California, you must meet the following requirements before you are even allowed to take the exam

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Have a valid Driver's License or USA Issued Identification
• Have a Social Security or ITIN #
• Not currently be on probation or parole
• Pass the Contractor License Exam

Contractors are tested not only on their TRADE  but also  LAW , accounting, cash management, taxes, insurance, fair hiring practices, safety, and more.

Learn more about Contractor License LAW!

Opportunities in Construction

As I stated earlier. The world is changing fast and the only people that are going to survive economically in the next 50 years are people who possess skills that people are willing to pay for.

Construction has been going on since the dawn of time. We will always need skilled tradesmen.

Civilization depends on people who can work with wood, build roofs, fabricate electrical systems, weld iron, and pave roads.

If you are graduating high school, do yourself a favor and take a serious look at joining an apprenticeship program and learning a trade.

Getting into the construction field is an excellent option for ex-felons and even people who are looking to transition careers.

The Construction sector will continue to grow, and the demand for skilled tradesmen will continue to increase. Invest in yourself and take advantage of this lucrative opportunity.

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• Should You Go To A Contractor License School?
• How Do I Get A Handyman License In Arizona?
• How to Get Your Georgia Plumbing License Fast!
• Louisiana Electrical License: The #1 Free Guide
• How To Get a Louisiana General Contractor License!

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What Is A Journeyman And How Is It Related To My CSLB License?

Just moved to California as a contractor and need your CSLB license – as any contractor does – to start doing construction work in the State?

Or maybe you’re a fresh-faced 18-year-old, who sees a career in construction in the future, and you are looking for the path to making that a reality.

In any case, no matter what type of construction work you want to do in California, you need a CSLB license – and in order to get a CSLB license, you need to first become a journeyman.

But what is a journeyman? And how does it play into getting your CSLB contractor’s license? In this article, we’ll walk you through everything and anything related to being a construction journeyman.

Journeymen and Journey-level Experience

The CSLB defines a journeyman as anyone who has “journey-level experience”, which is anyone who “has completed an apprenticeship program or is an experienced worker, not a trainee, and is fully qualified and able to perform a specific trade without supervision.”

Unlike a novice or a trainee, a journeyman is fully qualified and capable of performing their trade without supervision. They are experienced, skilled construction workers who have specialty expertise in their area of operation – whether it’s a hands-on trade like plumbing or the more general practice of general contracting.

Despite the ability of a journeyman to essentially perform all of the jobs of a licensed contractor, a journeyman cannot do contracting work on their own – only under the supervision of a general contractor. That means that even if you have all the skills to perform construction work on jobs over $500 , you still cannot do it. 

If journeymen are found doing contracting work, they are treated just like any other unlicensed contractor in the eyes of the law – facing all the same penalties, despite their skill and experience.

Do not do work on your own as a journeyman – wait until you’re a licensed contractor . You’re already on the path to becoming a licensed contractor, so why ruin it by breaking the law?

The Journeyman’s Experience Requirement

One of the essential requirements to obtain a CSLB contractor’s license is the journey-level experience requirement. This requirement means that you must have at least four (4) years of journey-level experience in your area of expertise. 

You must have four years’ journey-level experience in your trade. If you’re a plumber applying for a C-36 Plumbing license, you need four years’ journeyman experience as a plumber. You can’t, for example, do 4 years of general contracting work, and then expect to get an HVAC contractor’s license.

Exceptions From The CSLB Journey-level Experience Requirement

As always with the CSLB, there’s always exceptions to the rule. There are many situations where one may be exempt from the classical definition of “journey-level experience”.

Some situations where you can apply for an exception from the journey-level experience requirement include:

• The CSLB does allow anyone to apply for an exemption to the journeyman requirement by substituting four (4) years of technical training or apprenticeship training
• Note – you must have at least one (1) year of practical experience.
• In some situations, you can be exempt from the journey-level experience requirement if you built your own home. This is taken by the CSLB on a case-by-case basis.
• Reciprocity
• The CSLB has reciprocity agreements with a number of states – and if you’re a licensed contractor in these states, you can be exempt from having to start over again as a journeyman.

The Path To Becoming A Journeyman

Don’t have your journey-level experience but need some to get your contractor’s license? How do you even get your journeyman experience in the first place? 

An easy way to do it is to reach out to local contractors in your area and see if they’ll offer you an apprenticeship or work experience program in the area you’re interested in. You may not be making a ton of money, if you’re making money at all, but think of it long term – you are building your knowledge base and your abilities so that you can start bringing in the big bucks for the rest of your life.

By working under a licensed contractor, you can not only learn the ropes but also perform the work you will ultimately be doing in your area of expertise. Look at it this way – most people go to university for four years only to leave with a diploma, hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt, and a degree in something that probably won’t be relevant in a few years anyway.

What’s a few years of learning the skills that will suit you for life – and being paid for it? Anyone with a bit of determination and an attitude of open-mindedness and learning can get their CSLB license – all it takes is a few years of hard work.

Additional Reading

• CSLB – Journeymen FAQs  
• CSLB – The Road to Becoming a Licensed Contractor

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use

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Career Guides for Future Professionals

Journeyman: A Skilled and Versatile Worker

If you are interested in a career that involves working with your hands, learning a trade, and earning a good income, you might want to consider becoming a journeyman.

In this article, we will explain what a journeyman does, what skills and qualifications are required, and what career paths are available for journeymen.

The Highlights

What is a journeyman?

A journeyman is a term that historically refers to a worker who has completed an apprenticeship and gained enough experience and skills to work on their own. The term comes from the French word  jour , meaning day, as journeymen were paid by the day for their work. Journeymen are also known as journey-level workers or journeypersons.

Journeymen can work in various trades, such as carpentry, plumbing, electrical, masonry, welding, HVAC, and more. They typically report to a master tradesperson who oversees their work and provides guidance and feedback.

However, journeymen can also work independently or as contractors for different companies or clients. Journeymen can also train and mentor apprentices who are learning the trade.

What does a journeyman do?

A journeyman’s duties and responsibilities will vary depending on the trade they specialize in and the industry they work in. However, some common tasks that journeymen perform include:

• Reading and interpreting blueprints, drawings, and specifications
• Performing layout work and measuring materials
• Erecting scaffolding and ladders as needed
• Cutting, welding, bending, threading, and installing pipes, wires, cables, ducts, etc.
• Installing valves, fittings, fixtures, switches, outlets, appliances, etc.
• Testing installed systems for leaks, faults, or malfunctions
• Repairing or replacing defective parts as needed
• Assisting in the installation of boilers, tanks, pressure vessels, generators, etc.
• Following safety rules and regulations
• Using hand tools, power tools, and specialized equipment
• Communicating with clients, supervisors, and co-workers

What skills and qualifications does a journeyman need?

To become a journeyman, you need to have the following skills and qualifications:

• Apprenticeship:  The first step to becoming a journeyman is to complete an apprenticeship program in your chosen trade. An apprenticeship is a form of on-the-job training that combines classroom instruction with practical experience. Apprenticeships can last from two to six years depending on the trade and the state requirements. During an apprenticeship, you will learn the fundamentals of your trade from a qualified journeyman or master who will supervise your work and evaluate your progress. You will also earn a wage while you learn. Upon completion of your apprenticeship program, you will receive a certificate of completion or a license that allows you to work as a journeyman.
• License or certification:  Depending on the trade and the state you work in, you may need to obtain a license or certification to work as a journeyman. A license or certification demonstrates that you have met the minimum standards of competence and knowledge in your trade. To obtain a license or certification, you may need to pass an exam that covers topics like safety codes.
• Math skills:  Journeymen need to have good math skills to perform calculations, measurements, and conversions related to their trade. They need to be able to work with fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios, and proportions. They also need to understand geometry, algebra, and trigonometry to apply formulas and solve problems.
• Problem-solving skills:  Journeymen need to have good problem-solving skills to identify and troubleshoot issues that may arise during their work. They need to be able to analyze situations, evaluate options, and implement solutions in a timely and efficient manner. They also need to be able to adapt to changing conditions and requirements.
• Business skills:  Journeymen who work as independent contractors or run their own businesses need to have some basic business skills, such as accounting, marketing, customer service, and project management. They need to be able to manage their finances, invoices, taxes, and insurance. They also need to be able to market their services, communicate with clients, and manage their projects and schedules.

What are the career paths for journeymen?

Journeymen have several career paths available to them depending on their goals and interests. Some of the possible career paths are:

• Master tradesperson:  Journeymen who want to advance their careers and earn higher salaries can pursue becoming a master tradesperson in their trade. A master tradesperson is an expert who has extensive experience and knowledge in their trade and can supervise and train other workers. To become a master tradesperson, you need to pass a master exam that covers advanced topics in your trade. You also need to meet the minimum work experience requirements that vary by state and trade.
• Instructor:  Journeymen who enjoy teaching and sharing their skills can become instructors at vocational schools, community colleges, or apprenticeship programs. Instructors are responsible for designing and delivering courses that teach the theory and practice of a trade. They also evaluate students’ progress and performance. To become an instructor, you may need to have a bachelor’s degree or a teaching certificate in addition to your journeyman license or certification.
• Inspector:  Journeymen who want to ensure the quality and safety of work done by other tradespeople can become inspectors. Inspectors are responsible for examining and testing systems, equipment, materials, and structures for compliance with codes, standards, and regulations. They also issue permits, licenses, violations, or recommendations as needed. To become an inspector, you may need to have additional certifications or licenses depending on the type of inspection you perform.

How much does a journeyman make?

The salary of a journeyman depends on several factors, such as the trade they specialize in, the industry they work in, the location they work in, the level of experience they have, and the type of employment they have. 

According to Zippia , the average salary for a journeyman in the United States is $57,682 per year or $27.73 per hour as of June 2023. However, the salary range typically falls between $39,000 and $83,000 per year or between $18 and $39 per hour.

Some of the highest-paying states for journeymen are Washington ($80,397), Hawaii ($79,820), Nevada ($77,865), California ($77,312), and Connecticut ($72,565). Some of the highest-paying industries for journeymen are construction ($62,819), manufacturing ($60,408), utilities ($59,897), mining ($59,332), and transportation ($58,993).

A journeyman is a skilled worker who has completed an apprenticeship in a specific trade and can work independently or under the supervision of a master. Journeymen can work in various trades,

such as carpentry, plumbing, electrical, masonry, welding, HVAC, and more. They can earn a good income and enjoy various benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plans, paid vacation, and bonuses. They can also advance their careers by becoming master tradespeople, instructors, or inspectors.

If you are interested in becoming a journeyman, you need to complete an apprenticeship program in your chosen trade and obtain a license or certification if required by your state. You also need to have good math skills, problem-solving skills, and business skills. You can find apprenticeship opportunities through trade unions, vocational schools, community colleges, or online platforms.

Becoming a journeyman can be a rewarding career choice for anyone who likes working with their hands, learning new skills, and creating something useful. Journeymen are essential workers who contribute to the development and maintenance of various industries and sectors. By becoming a journeyman, you can join a community of skilled professionals who take pride in their work and make a difference in the world.

Saiful Emon

Saiful is an author for Profession HQ. He writes about career development topics. He has a BBA degree and expertise in content writing and digital marketing. In his spare time, he likes to dive into business, technology, and science topics. Most of the time, you’ll find him on his laptop working on some new project!

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World Leaders in Research-Based User Experience

Omnichannel journeys and customer experience: study guide.

February 5, 2023 2023-02-05

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Here’s a list of NN/g’s most useful introductory articles and videos about customer journey design and related topics. Within each section, the resources are in recommended reading order.

In This Article:

Customer journeys and customer experience: an overview, research and mapping, designing an effective omnichannel experience, journey management and other operational considerations, additional resources.

UX work has traditionally focused on interface design and optimizing the experience for single digital interactions. However, not all experiences are so granular and targeted. When users interact with an organization’s products over time and across devices to achieve larger goals, these related interactions make up a customer journey. Customer journeys should also be researched and designed to result in enjoyable customer experiences.

If you’re new to customer-journey-level experience design, we recommend that you explore the following resources in order, from top to bottom.

What is Omnichannel UX?

How Channels, Devices, and Touchpoints Impact the Customer Journey

Various components come together to make customer journeys.

User Experience vs. Customer Experience: What’s The Difference?

UX exists at various levels: interaction level, journey level, and relationship level.

Research is always a crucial early step in UX design, and journey-level experience design is no different. Because journeys are longitudinal and include many interactions, the methods and outputs we use to research, analyze, and document the omnichannel experience are different from those commonly used for the UX of single interactions. They often involve context-research methods such as field studies and diary studies and mapping methods that help distill the research into visuals such as journey maps, and service blueprints.

Journey maps and service blueprints are two common research outputs used to document findings from research activities. They also serve as strategic deliverables from which to begin ideating around solutions for the experience problems identified within them.

The articles and videos in this section introduce you to the methods and mapping practices commonly used to understand customer journeys.

Other study guides that synthesize resources related to the methods above:

• Mapping Methods: Study Guide
• Context Methods: Study Guide

A great customer experience is the product of a well-designed omnichannel ecosystem. There are five components that together create a successful omnichannel user experience: Consistency, Optimization, Seamlessness, Orchestration, and Collaboration.

These components and other journey-design considerations are discussed in the following articles.

Organizational structures and operational business practices were created before internet-connected devices existed. Companies have adapted to include digital product teams and UX practices so they can create and maintain the tools needed to serve modern customers. However, in most organizations, UX work stops there — at designing individual interactions.

The experience customers have with organizations during a customer journey impacts their ongoing relationship with that company. For this reason, it’s become increasingly important for businesses to prioritize experience design at the journey level. Customers touch many different products and channels as their journeys progress, and the experience on each of these is often designed and owned by different groups within the organization. These groups must work together to design a cohesive experience across touchpoints. That is why adopting a journey-centric design approach requires organizational and operational change.

Use the resources in this section to explore the organizational components that affect the quality of the journey experience.

Service design is the activity of planning and organizing business resources to improve the employees’ experience and the customers’ experience.

Service Design: Study Guide

Paid Resources

Full-day courses:

Omnichannel Journeys and Customer Experience

Customer-journey management.

• Operationalizing CX: Organizational Strategies for Delivering Superior Omnichannel Experiences

Related Courses

Create a usable and cohesive cross-channel experience by following guidelines to resolve common user pain points in a multi-channel landscape

Interaction

Journey Mapping to Understand Customer Needs

Capture and communicate UX insights across complex interactions

Establish and operationalize journey-level experience design work across functional groups for continuous improvement

Related Topics

• Study Guides Study Guides
• Customer Journeys

Learn More:

The 3 Competencies of Journey Management

Kim Salazar · 5 min

Journey Management vs. Service Design

Kim Salazar · 4 min

When to Empathy Map

Kate Kaplan · 3 min

Related Articles:

Visual Design in UX: Study Guide

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ResearchOps: Study Guide

User Journey vs. User Story: How Are They Different?

Are you unsure what the difference between a user journey and a user story is? Both are helpful for your product but have slightly different outcomes.

This article will dive deep into user journey vs. user story and share how they differ.

• Customer journey maps visualize user experiences, highlighting steps, touchpoints, emotions, pain points , and opportunities for improvement.
• User stories describe features from the end user’s perspective, improving development prioritization and communication.
• User journey maps depict the entire user experience, whereas user stories concentrate on specific tasks or features within that journey.
• Visualizing the overall user experiences through journey maps helps identify pain points and areas for improvement. Meanwhile, user stories define particular requirements and prioritize features.
• A user journey map is created early in product discovery to inform strategy, while user stories guide feature implementation during planning and development .
• User journeys are visual flowcharts that map each step and touchpoint to improve interactions . User stories are concise sentences clarifying user needs.
• A user story map combines user journeys and stories, visually mapping experiences into stages and detailed stories, aiding in prioritization and cohesive development.
• If you need help with user journeys or user stories, Userpilot can help. It offers product analytics, so you can map customer journeys and capture user feedback to validate your user stories. If you want to get started, book a demo now .

Try Userpilot and Take Your User Journey to the Next Level

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What are user journeys?

User journeys, represented by customer journey maps , highlight the entire user experience as they interact with your product or service. They map out the steps a user takes from the beginning to the end of a specific process, identifying key touchpoints, actions, and emotions.

By understanding the user’s path, you can see how they move through different stages and what they experience along the way.

A journey map helps you visualize the user’s entire process, making it easier to understand their needs and expectations. These maps are crucial because they show where users might face difficulties or pain points during their journey.

By knowing where users struggle and where they have positive experiences, you can make more informed decisions about improving your product .

What are user stories?

User stories are short, simple descriptions of a feature from the end user’s perspective. They help to answer how a feature will add value to a user’s journey. By focusing on the user’s needs and goals, user stories ensure that development teams create features that truly benefit the end user.

A user story usually focuses on three areas: as a ( who ), I want to ( what ), and so that ( why ). Acceptance criteria follow this.

For example, let’s take the example of a segmentation feature in an email marketing tool. A user story might look like this:

“As a marketing manager, I want to segment my email list based on user behavior to send more targeted and relevant emails.”

The acceptance criteria would specify the conditions that must be met for the story map to be complete, such as:

• The segmentation feature should allow users to create segments based on at least three user behaviors.
• Users should be able to save and edit segments.
• The feature should be integrated into the existing email campaign creation process.

Creating user stories offers several benefits. They help ensure that each feature delivers real value to the end user. By breaking down features into manageable pieces, user stories make prioritizing development work easier and ensure the most important features are built first.

User journey vs. user story: main differences

Understanding the distinction between user journeys and user stories is crucial for creating a seamless user experience and effective product development . Let’s explore the main differences between these two concepts.

Scope of the customer experience

A customer journey maps out a user’s entire end-to-end experience, covering all interactions and touchpoints from start to finish. Journey mapping helps understand the complete user experience and identify a pain point.

A user story map focuses on a single task or feature a user needs to achieve within the broader journey. This approach zeroes in on specific features to ensure they provide value and effectively meet user needs.

Purpose of creation

The purpose of a user journey map is to understand and visualize the overall user experience, helping to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement.

A user story aims to define specific, actionable requirements for development to ensure features meet specific user needs. Additionally, it aids in prioritization of tasks to focus on the most important aspects first.

Stage of creation

User journeys are typically created during the early stages of product discovery and research to inform the overall strategy . This helps set a clear direction based on user insights gathered during the discovery process .

User story maps are developed after the discovery phase – usually during planning and development to guide the design decisions and implementation of features. This ensures that each feature is well-defined and aligned with user needs, following the product development process .

Representation

A user journey is represented as a visual flowchart or map that outlines each step and touchpoint in the user experience, helping to improve customer interactions .

A user story is a short sentence written in the format: “As a [persona], I [want to], [so that].”

Final outcomes for the product team

A user journey provides a comprehensive and holistic view of the user’s interaction with the product, helping teams identify improvements, pain points, and opportunities to enhance the overall product experience .

A user story results in a clear and actionable requirement for a specific feature, ensuring focused development and preventing feature bloat .

How do user story maps combine both user journeys and stories?

A user story map combines elements of both user journeys and user story mapping.

User story maps visually map out the entire user experience into high-level stages (user journey) and then break these into detailed, actionable customer stories. This integration helps teams understand the overall flow and prioritize specific features for development.

Story mapping allows teams to see how different parts of the user experience fit together, making it easier to identify gaps and opportunities. This approach ensures that key product priorities are aligned with the user’s needs.

A well-constructed user journey map allows product managers and teams to break down complex processes into manageable pieces. This ensures that every feature developed contributes to a cohesive and satisfying user experience.

If you’re looking to understand how a user is experiencing your app, user journey mapping can help. If you want a clear description of a feature that can align development teams on what they are trying to create, write customer stories.

Consider Userpilot if you want to create a customer journey map or user story. It provides detailed analytics that highlights a user’s journey, enabling you to create a journey map. Userpilot also helps you gather customer feedback to validate that your customer stories are what customers expect. Book a demo now to find out more.

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What is CX?

You might have an intuitive sense of what separates good CX, or customer experience, from bad. Imagine, say, you want a latte. When you visit the coffee shop, are staff members attentive? If you are a regular, do they greet you by your name? Was the store designed intuitively? Do they take your order promptly and hand you your cup with a smile? If you have a problem, is it promptly resolved, or is someone sent to help you? Do they proactively reach out to understand your overall experience?

All of those questions touch on elements of customer experience. The four components of CX are brand, product, price, and service.

Basically, CX refers to everything an organization does to deliver superior experiences, value, and growth for customers. And it’s crucial in an age when how a business delivers for its customers is just as important as—if not more important than—the products and services it provides. In a digital world, where customers review and share their experiences with a company in public forums, it has become vital for companies to connect with customers across their journeys at an emotional level. Not only is customer experience the right thing to do for customers but it also results in 3x returns to shareholders .

The COVID-19 pandemic was a test of how to connect with customers in times of crisis . And many did surprisingly well in providing good CX, for instance, by swiftly reorienting their efforts to meet customers’ primary needs with respect to safety, security, and everyday convenience. Take, for example, e-commerce companies and food delivery services that developed methods of contactless delivery to keep customers and drivers safe as the virus spread.

This article offers a brief overview of customer experience-related topics and answers questions such as:

What are customer journeys?

How to measure customer experience, what is the consumer decision journey, what is customer care, how to improve customer experience.

A customer journey  describes the customer’s end-to-end experience, as opposed to their satisfaction at various individual transactions or touchpoints. These can include many things that occur before, during, or after the customer experiences a given product or service. Examples of customer journeys include bringing a new customer on board, resolving a technical issue, or upgrading a product.

Consider onboarding a new customer. At one company , this process took about three months and on average entailed nine phone calls, a technician visit, and interactions via both the web and mail. While there was a 90 percent chance, at any given touchpoint, of the interaction going well, average customer satisfaction fell nearly 40 percent over the course of the journey. More important than solving issues at the level of individual touchpoints was to reimagine the approach to service operations  around the most crucial CX journeys.

Attending to full customer journeys instead of touchpoints can drive stronger business outcomes. For instance, a McKinsey survey  found that customer satisfaction with health insurance is 73 percent more likely when the entire journey works well than when only touchpoints do. Looking to the hospitality industry, customers of hotels that get the entire customer journey right may be 61 percent more willing to recommend those hotels than customers of hotels that just focus on touchpoints.

If your company is looking to reinvigorate its customer experience, three efforts can help you move from touchpoints to journeys :

• Observe. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes: What do they see? This can help organize and mobilize employees around customer needs. In addition to identifying and understanding the customer’s journey, you’ll need to quantify what matters to customers and define a clear aspiration and common purpose.
• Shape. When you design customer experiences, interactions must be reshaped into different sequences. Even if your effort starts small, it can swiftly become much larger and entail the digitization of processes, the reorientation of company culture, and nimble refinements in the field.
• Perform. Making the transition to prioritize journeys can be a journey in itself that takes years and requires deep engagement from everyone in the company, from corporate leaders right down to the front line.

Learn more about our Growth, Marketing & Sales  and Operations  practices.

You might have a hard time imagining how you measure something as ephemeral as the magic your company creates for customers. But it can be done. Best practice calls for three guiding principles to help optimize customer-experience measurement :

• Measure the customer experience at the journey level, rather than at the level of touchpoints or overall satisfaction.
• Invest in hardwired technology that captures feedback on a daily basis from multiple channels, integrating survey results and other data into comprehensive dashboards.
• Cultivate a mindset of continuous improvement at all levels.

Depending on the level of CX adoption within an organization, consider the power of predicting CX , which can help you stay ahead of customer churn and dissatisfaction. Why? Survey-based systems alone don’t necessarily meet the needs of today’s companies; they’re limited, reactive, ambiguous, and unfocused. Predictive customer insight may unlock more powerful insights to improve customer experiences.

The consumer decision journey  (CDJ) is a reconceptualization of the traditional marketing funnel. In this approach, the way customers make decisions is framed as a circular process involving four phases where customers can be gained or lost:

• initial consideration
• active evaluation, or the process of researching potential purchases
• closure, when consumers buy brands
• postpurchase, when consumers experience those brands

And conceptions of the consumer decision journey continue to evolve , especially in light of the new technologies and capabilities available to consumers. Today, it is important for brands not only to react to customers but also to actively shape their decision journeys. This may mean compressing or even eliminating the consideration and evaluation phases to drive competitive advantage . To foster an accelerated customer loyalty journey , four distinct but interconnected capabilities are crucial:

• Automation can be used to streamline the customer journey (for example, being able to snap a photo of a check and deposit it via your bank’s app rather than physically visiting a bank branch).
• Proactive personalization uses a customer’s information to instantly customize CX.
• Contextual interaction uses knowledge about where a customer is in a journey to deliver them to the next set of interactions.
• Journey innovation finds new sources of value, such as new services, for both the customer and the brand. This involves companies mining their data and insights about customers to figure out what other services they might appreciate. The best companies also design customer decision journeys that allow open-ended testing and frequent prototyping of new services or features.

Learn more about our Growth, Marketing & Sales  practice.

Introducing McKinsey Explainers : Direct answers to complex questions

Customer care generally happens within contact-center operations. These are sometimes referred to as call centers, and people working at these organizations support customers throughout their journeys with a company’s products or services—no matter where customers need help (in-store, online, via mobile apps, etcetera). This is as all part of providing an omnichannel customer experience. Contact centers play an important role in customer care, and a forward-looking vision for these centers could entail hyperpersonalization to meet customers’ expectations  in a way that’s both strategic and experience oriented.

How has COVID-19 changed customer experience?

COVID-19 changed customer experience in several ways. Many companies needed to shift the ways they worked with customers, for example, by providing alternative digital experiences when it was not safe for physical stores to be open. More broadly, how your company interacted with customers throughout the pandemic may have triggered an immediate and lingering effect on customers’ sense of trust and loyalty. In times of crisis, meeting customer needs with empathy, care, concern, and connection is important. It can help frame short-term responses, build longer-term resilience, and prepare for success after a crisis passes by keeping a pulse on how preferences are changing in real time. And it’s worth noting that more than three-quarters of consumers changed their buying habits  during the pandemic—and in addition to value and convenience, purpose also drives shopping decisions.

What does digital customer experience mean?

Digital customer experience refers to elements of the experience that happen online or with the support of digital and analytics. This can facilitate interactions that are holistic, predictive, prioritized, and focused on value.

Consider the example of a leading airline that built a machine-learning system to track and prioritize customers  who might choose a different carrier because they experienced multiple flight delays or other issues. The system, built in three months, drove an 800 percent increase in customer satisfaction and also reduced churn for priority customers by 60 percent.

When it comes to digital customer experience, companies are increasingly aiming to transition to predictive insights that could represent the future of CX . Some CX leaders are pushing on predictive CX platforms, which consist of three key elements:

• a customer-level data lake, with customer, financial, and operational data to develop a rigorous understanding of customer experiences
• predictive customer scores using analytics that track what’s influencing customer satisfaction and business performance
• an action and insight engine that’s shared with a broad set of employees, via tools such as customer-relationship-management platforms, through an API layer

These platforms can play a powerful role in linking CX to value and building clear business cases to improve CX. Of course, companies must stay attuned to customers and the privacy imperative . And it will also be crucial to build security into the digital customer experience .

Learn more about our Growth, Marketing & Sales , Digital McKinsey , and Risk & Resilience  practices.

What about customer experience and loyalty?

If you offer a good CX, chances are your customers will be loyal to you or your brand. But that doesn’t happen without real effort. “Consumers are changing, and consumer trends are driving this,” says former McKinsey partner Jess Huang on the new generation of customer loyalty programs . “With the move to digital over the last ten years, consumers are spending more and more time on their phones and various digital channels. This makes it much easier to access the consumer, but there is also a lot more noise. Brands are trying to figure out the right way to break through that noise and develop a relationship with the consumer.”

Loyalty programs are vital to doing so, but two-thirds of them fail to deliver. Focusing on eight elements  can help your loyalty programs perform better:

• Don’t be afraid to offer customers incentives to redeem their loyalty points.
• Consider the customer segments where there’s “breakage” (people whose points expire), and think about potential opportunities for improvement.
• Enlist strategic partners to enhance offers and rewards.
• Offer points-plus-cash options.
• Measure success based on engagement, not just accruals.
• Segment customers into groups you can handle.
• Personalize test-and-learn across customer segments.
• Create a standard P&L to accurately measure the incremental impact of loyalty programs.

Is customer experience the same in B2B and B2C contexts?

Much of CX in B2B isn’t the same as in B2C. Here’s why :

• relationships often go deeper in B2B
• longer, more complex B2B journeys involve more individuals
• customization is more widespread in B2B than B2C
• the stakes are usually higher in B2B deals, as individual B2B customer relationships are often worth millions of dollars

Nevertheless, more B2B customers say they would like a better customer experience—one that is more  like those of B2C customers. And in complex B2B sectors like industrial services—think aftermarket service contracts  for jet engines, industrial robots, or utility-transmission equipment— better customer experience is increasingly critical for growth . In a survey of 1,000 B2B decision makers, lack of speed in interactions with their suppliers emerged as the number-one “pain point” and was mentioned twice as often as price.

Keeping a finger on the B2B pulse can help you understand and respond to emerging B2B customer needs , especially in light of the shift to omnichannel . Adjusting your approach for the mix of traditional, remote, and self-service sales channels is increasingly important—and 94 percent of B2B decision makers  say new omnichannel sales model are as effective or more effective than prepandemic sales models. For even more, here’s a case study  of how a B2B organization in China became more customer-centric.

How do different industries approach customer experience?

Because customer needs and expectations vary by context, different industries may approach CX in different ways. Here are just a few examples of how industries grapple with the issues:

• Automotive. Car companies are putting customer experience in the driver’s seat —whereas manufacturers once competed on their engineering capabilities, CX is now a true differentiator, and customer-centric innovation is crucial.
• Travel. The COVID-19 pandemic turned travel upside down, and travelers’ customer experience is emerging as a challenge during the recovery. Doing better could entail aiming higher on experience, understanding customers more deeply, and moving faster operationally.
• Retail. Retail and consumer CX likely needs to account for a variety of omnichannel operational considerations . Retailers also need to stay attuned to the rise of the inclusive consumer  and make adjustments to serve their needs. And preparing for the future of shopping , where technology is everywhere, will also be important.
• Banking. CX transformation in banking  can pay off by delighting customers and, in turn, delivering revenue and cost improvements for banks themselves. And in regions like Asia–Pacific, digital innovation in banking offers some insight on whether or how banks should rethink customer engagement . Keeping up with customer trends can also unearth new opportunities, for instance, as we’ve seen with buy now, pay later  financing models. Fintech players may be on the vanguard when it comes to taking the friction out of financial services  for customers.
• Insurance. Many insurers have invested heavily  in digitizing customer journeys and processes to improve the experience. A user-first, omnichannel approach could rely on the availability of online purchasing capabilities, the ease of navigating online journeys, and seamless integration of sales support and advice. The rise of insurtechs  has also helped the industry address some customer pain points.
• Healthcare. In coming months and years, “Care at Home” could reshape the way health systems deliver patient-centered care . The rise of telehealth could also affect CX in healthcare . Focusing on whole-person care  could improve outcomes for patients with behavioral-health conditions. Monitoring healthcare consumer insights  will remain important, and providing compassionate, personalized care  can benefit both patients and healthcare organizations.
• Utilities. Transforming CX in utilities  helps customers and can allow utilities themselves to drive out costs. Self-service and digital channels are crucial in this context.
• Government. Prioritizing and improving customer experience in government  can offer big benefits for customers. It can also give employees greater purpose—and improve agencies’ reputations.
• Service businesses. Are customers of industrial-services businesses happy? The bar is rising, but for industrial OEM customer experience , organizations will need to better understand what customers want and need.

What are the differences between customer experience and employee experience?

While the design thinking that transformed customer experience is now also transforming employee experience (EX) , there are some differences between the two:

• A customer journey is often a lot quicker than an employee journey. It might take months or even up to a year for employers to hire a new employee. That’s a lot longer than most customer journeys.
• Many employers’ interactions with their employees continue to be top-down instead of being a constant, two-way iterative process—as successful customer journeys have become. For instance, while many companies are exploring hybrid work options, others are considering a full return to the office, even though many of their employees would prefer to continue working from home.

But happy employees are crucial to providing good CX—meaning that CX and EX are related. In that regard, improving employee experience in service of building a customer-centric culture  can have a powerful effect. Just consider how much mindsets matter here: some employees, for instance, might think, “I’m not involved in asking for customer feedback.” But in a customer-centric culture, reframing that so employees feel empowered to create opportunities to ask for customer feedback can pay dividends.

Learn more about our Growth, Marketing & Sales , People & Organizational Performance , and  Operations  practices.

Three building blocks are essential in transforming or improving customer experience  throughout your organization:

• Build aspiration and purpose. A clearly defined CX aspiration should deliver on your company’s purpose and brand promise. Have you developed a customer-centric vision and aspiration, linked it to value, and translated it into a concrete road map?
• Transform the business. Here’s where you discover customer needs, design solutions, and deliver impact, whether that’s via customer journeys, products, services, or business models.
• Enable the transformation. After introducing a new experience for customers, your company needs to consider how to sustain its efforts. This involves transforming employee mindsets; building capabilities; stepping up on technology, data, and analytics; establishing cross-functional governance and an agile operating model; and deploying systems to measure and manage performance.

Improving customer experience can make a big difference. In over a decade of helping more than 900 companies design and implement enterprise-wide CX programs, approaches that rest on these building blocks  have delivered 15 to 20 percent boosts in sales conversion rates, 20 to 50 percent reductions in service costs, and 10 to 20 percent improvement in customer satisfaction.

It’s also important to stay attuned to customer experience pitfalls  so your organization can avoid them. These include failing to link CX to value, taking a narrow view of CX, and applying limited creativity; don’t miss the examples of how other organizations have sidestepped these issues in transforming CX.

For more in-depth exploration of these topics, see McKinsey’s Customer Experience  collection. Learn more about the Marketing & Sales , Operations , and McKinsey Digital  Practices, and check out customer experience–related job opportunities if you’re interested in working at McKinsey.

Articles referenced include:

• “ Six customer experience pitfalls to avoid ,” March 17, 2022, Itai Miller, Kevin Neher , Rens van den Broek, and Tom Wintering
• “ Next in loyalty: Eight levers to turn customers into fans ,” October 12, 2021, José Carluccio, Oren Eizenman, and Phyllis Rothschild
• “ This time it’s personal: Shaping the ‘new possible’ through employee experience ,” September 30, 2021, Jonathan Emmett, Asmus Komm , Stefan Moritz , and Friederike Schultz
• “ How to boost growth in industrial services: Better customer experience ,” July 28, 2021, Hugues Lavandier , Senthil Muthiah, Kevin Neher , Stephanie Trottier, and Hyo Yeon
• “ Prediction: The future of CX ,” February 24, 2021, Rachel Diebner, David Malfara, Kevin Neher , Mike Thompson, and Maxence Vancauwenberghe
• “ The three building blocks of successful customer-experience transformations ,” October 27, 2020, Victoria Bough , Ralph Breuer , Nicolas Maechler , and Kelly Ungerman
• “ The human touch at the center of customer-experience excellence ,” October 8, 2020, Alex Camp, Harald Fanderl , Nimish Jain , Bob Sternfels , and Ryter von Difloe
• “ The CEO guide to customer experience ,” McKinsey Quarterly , August 17, 2016, includes interviews with Alfonso Pulido , Ron Ritter, and Ewan Duncan
• “ The consumer decision journey ,” McKinsey Quarterly , June 1, 2009, David Court, Dave Elzinga, Susan Mulder, and Ole Jørgen Vetvik

Want to know more about CX?

Related articles.

Six customer experience pitfalls to avoid

Next in loyalty: Eight levers to turn customers into fans

Prediction: The future of CX

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My Journey through JEE Mains Exam Experience

Preparing for the JEE Mains was one of the most challenging and intense periods of my life. Here’s a detailed account of my experience, covering various aspects that might help future aspirants.

Format of the Exam:

The JEE Mains is a computer-based test consisting of multiple-choice questions covering Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. The exam lasts for 3 hours, and each correct answer awards you 4 marks, while each incorrect one deducts 1 mark. It’s crucial to understand this marking scheme to strategize effectively during the test.

Preparation Strategies:

I began my preparation in class 11, dedicating two years to mastering the syllabus. My strategy involved:

• Consistent Study Routine: I studied for about 6-8 hours daily, breaking it into focused sessions with short breaks.
• Coaching Classes: Attending coaching classes helped me understand complex topics and stay disciplined.
• Practice and Revision: I solved numerous past papers and mock tests. This practice helped me get familiar with the exam pattern and manage my time effectively.
• Focused Revision: Towards the end of my preparation, I spent more time revising key concepts and formulas.

Pattern of Exam/Interview:

The JEE Mains exam is divided into three sections: Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, each containing 30 questions. It’s essential to:

• Time Management: Allocate time wisely to each section. I spent about 50 minutes on each subject and reserved the last 30 minutes for revisiting tough questions.
• Section-wise Strategy: Start with your strongest subject to build confidence. For me, it was Mathematics.

Subject or Individual Topics to Focus On:

• Physics: Focus on mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and modern physics. Practice numerical problems extensively.
• Chemistry: Pay special attention to organic and inorganic chemistry. Memorize important reactions and their mechanisms.
• Mathematics: Master calculus, algebra, and coordinate geometry. Practice solving problems quickly and accurately.

Do’s:

• Stay Calm: Keep your composure, especially on the exam day.
• Time Management: Practice managing your time efficiently during mock tests.
• Healthy Lifestyle: Maintain a balanced diet and get adequate sleep.

Don’ts:

• Panic: Avoid last-minute cramming; it only increases anxiety.
• Neglect Basics: Ensure your fundamentals are strong before tackling advanced problems.
• Overexert: Don’t overwork yourself; take regular breaks to relax.

Exam Day Experience:

On the day of the exam, I arrived at the centre 2 hours early as instructed on the admit card. Those two hours felt incredibly long, filled with anxiety and racing thoughts. I reminisced about my two years of preparation, and every possible doubt and fear crossed my mind.

As I entered the exam hall, I was extremely nervous but relieved to find my seat in good condition. When I finally received the paper, my hands trembled, and I couldn’t write properly for the first few minutes. However, once I settled in, the three hours flew by.

One peculiar memory from JEE Mains 2017 was the pen provided to us. Despite its simplicity, it became a symbolic part of my experience, a small token of the intense journey. By the end of the exam, the pen was 70% empty, a testament to the amount of work and effort I had put into those three hours.

To all future JEE Mains aspirants, I wish you the best of luck. Stay focused, trust your preparation, and remember, it’s just another step in your journey. You’ve got this!

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