In this episode, Sarah chats with Kellyn, a market researcher who successfully pivoted into a Lead UX Researcher role at Weedmaps, with a 40% salary increase, after feeling stuck, overlooked, and unsure how to position herself for UX roles.
Despite 13+ years of research experience (and a partner who is a career coach) Kellyn wasn’t getting traction when applying to UX research jobs. She knew she had the skills, but lacked the clarity, confidence, and story to prove it. Through Career Strategy Lab, she rebuilt her confidence, clarified her direction, transformed her LinkedIn, and created a portfolio that focused on thinking and storytelling, not flashy visuals.
This episode is a powerful reminder that career pivots don’t require starting over—they require structure, strategy, and the confidence to own your experience.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ How Kellyn reframed market research experience for UX research roles
✔️ Why the Compass Statement was the turning point in her job search
✔️ How narrowing focus saved her time, energy, and burnout
✔️ Why LinkedIn optimization led to real recruiter interest
✔️ How storytelling, not a portfolio website, landed her UX job interviews
✔️ The role of community, coaching, and feedback in rebuilding confidence
✔️ Why CSL is an investment with long-term, compounding career impact
✔️ How clarity led to better interviews, better offers, and better pay
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Sarah Doody and Career Strategy Lab
00:38 Episode Overview and Open House Context
02:10 Kellyn's Career Journey and Success Story
05:00 The Impact of Career Strategy Lab on Confidence and Job Search
13:55 The Importance of LinkedIn Optimization
16:11 Crafting Compelling Case Studies and Portfolios
23:44 Final Thoughts and Advice for Career Strategy Lab Participants
27:08 Conclusion and Additional Resources
27:49 Special Message for Job Seekers
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Learn more about Sarah Doody's UX job search accelerator, Career Strategy Lab.
👋 Say hi and follow me, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
In this expert interview, Sarah Doody is joined by Patrick Neeman, Director of UX & AI Experiences at Workday, to pull back the curtain on how UX hiring actually works today—and where candidates are getting tripped up.
Patrick brings a rare perspective: he’s led UX teams, taught UX at General Assembly, worked inside applicant tracking systems, and now hires designers in an AI-driven product environment. Together, Sarah and Patrick unpack the biggest misconceptions about ATS systems, why portfolios often fail the six-second test, how soft skills influence hiring decisions, and what senior designers really need to focus on to stand out in today’s market.
This episode is especially valuable if you’re making it to interviews but not offers, feeling unsure how AI fits into your skillset, or questioning whether your resume and portfolio are helping—or hurting—you.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ Why companies are often bad at hiring—and how that impacts candidates
✔️ The truth about ATS filters, knockout questions, and resume formatting
✔️ Why two-column resumes fail ATS systems (and what to do instead)
✔️ What hiring managers notice in the first 6 seconds of reviewing a resume
✔️ How soft skills like alignment, collaboration, and communication influence hiring
✔️ Why decks often outperform portfolio websites in UX interviews
✔️ How AI tools like Lovable are changing expectations for prototyping
✔️ The role of “weak ties” in landing jobs—and why relationships matter more than applications
✔️ Red flags candidates should avoid during interviews and outreach
✔️ Why being “nice to work with” is a real career advantage
Links From This Episode:
Patrick's Book: uxGPT: Mastering AI Assistants for User Experience Designers and Product Management Professionals
Patrick's Article: What’s makes an effective UX professional
Patrick's Article: What’s your Ideal Designer Profile?
The Strength of Weak Ties: A Network Theory Revisited
The ADP Checklist: Resources about Resumes, Portfolios and Interviews for UX Professionals
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Sarah Doody and Career Strategy Lab
00:38 Welcoming Patrick Neiman: Insights into UX Hiring
01:19 Patrick's Background and Experience
04:19 The State of the UX Job Market
07:21 The Importance of Writing Skills in UX
08:49 Applicant Tracking Systems and AI in Hiring
13:28 Contract Roles in UX: Myths and Realities
14:42 Standing Out as a UX Candidate
17:48 Soft Skills: The Superpower of UX Professionals
22:05 Tips for Early Career UX Designers
24:15 Prototyping vs. Figma: The Future of Design
24:28 The Value of Personal Projects in Portfolios
24:57 Challenges in Redesigning Complex Systems
26:10 Misconceptions About Hiring Software
27:23 The Six-Second Resume Test
29:16 Networking and the Power of Weak Ties
33:10 Tips for Advancing in Your UX Career
41:46 Balancing Figma and AI-Assisted Design Tools
43:21 Final Thoughts and Advice for Job Seekers
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Learn more about Sarah Doody's UX job search accelerator, Career Strategy Lab.
👋 Say hi and follow me, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
In this episode, Sarah talks with Allie, a Senior UX Designer with over a decade of experience, about what it really looks like to lose your confidence mid-career, and how to rebuild it without rushing, panicking, or burning yourself out.
After navigating years of instability, repeated layoffs around her, and slowly losing her sense of confidence at work, Allie joined Career Strategy Lab feeling disconnected from her own value. Through foundational work like career inventory, 360° feedback, and the Compass Statement, she rebuilt clarity around her strengths, rediscovered her story, and landed a new role at PepsiCo with confidence restored.
This episode is a powerful reminder that confidence isn’t something you “should already have.” It’s something you rebuild through clarity, structure, and self-trust.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ What it actually feels like to “lose your mojo” after years in UX
✔️ Why giving yourself grace is a strategic career move—not a weakness
✔️ How taking inventory of your work restores confidence fast
✔️ The role of external feedback in uncovering hidden strengths
✔️ Why trying to rush ahead in your job search often backfires
✔️ How watching others’ critiques can improve your own portfolio and storytelling
✔️ Why treating your job search like a real project changes everything
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Sarah Doody and Career Strategy Lab
00:38 Episode Overview and Open House Context
02:29 Meet Allie: A UX Journey
03:59 Confidence and Career Strategy Lab
08:19 Mindset Shifts and Lessons Learned
11:18 Impactful Feedback and Storytelling
13:40 Final Thoughts and Advice
16:58 Conclusion and Podcast Outro
17:38 Special Message for Job Seekers
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Learn more about Sarah Doody's UX job search accelerator, Career Strategy Lab.
👋 Say hi and follow me, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
Still applying to dozens, or hundreds, of UX roles and not hearing back? It’s not the number of applications that gets you hired. It’s the strategy behind how you position yourself.
In this rapid-fire episode, Sarah breaks down the five things she consistently sees among UX candidates who are getting hired right now. Whether you’ve applied to 50, 100, or 200+ jobs without results, these are the shifts that will change your job search immediately.
This episode is your wake-up call: Stop applying to more roles and start fixing these five root issues.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ Why applying to more jobs won’t fix your job search
✔️ How to optimize your LinkedIn so recruiters find you
✔️ Why most candidates dramatically undervalue their skills
✔️ The danger of getting feedback from people who aren't involved in hiring
✔️ The truth about UX portfolios—and why yours should not be a website
✔️ Why clarity about what you want is the real job search shortcut
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction and Purpose
00:38 Common Job Search Mistakes
02:07 Leveraging LinkedIn for Job Search
04:18 Valuing Your Skills and Experience
07:22 Overcoming the Unhirable Mindset
10:46 Creating Effective Portfolios
14:18 Clarity in Career Goals
17:57 Recap and Final Thoughts
19:28 Career Strategy Lab and Workshops
20:56 Podcast Reviews and Closing
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Join Sarah Doody's Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.
👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
In this interview, Sarah sits down with Steven, a longtime UX leader who spent 17 years at the same digital agency before an unexpected layoff forced him to re-evaluate everything. With no portfolio, no updated resume, and low confidence, Steven joined Career Strategy Lab, and everything changed.
Today, Steven is thriving as a fractional product design director, long-term contractor, and consultant helping companies elevate their UX teams and integrate AI into their workflows. In this conversation, he shares how Career Stratgegy Lab's UX job search accelerator helped him rebuild his confidence, tell a clear story about 20+ years of experience, streamline his job search, and even reinvent himself as a business owner.
Whether you're mid-career, coming out of a layoff, or curious about consulting, Steven’s story is a grounding reminder that clarity, strategy, and community can completely change your UX career trajectory.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ How Steven went from 25% confidence to 80% confidence in his job search
✔️ The myth he had to unlearn: your portfolio is not the first step
✔️ Why clarity + foundational work = faster, less stressful job search
✔️ How CSL’s community accelerated his progress and kept him motivated
✔️ The mindset shift that helped him stop applying blindly to jobs
✔️ How he now uses CSL’s frameworks to land consulting and contract roles
✔️ Why your “career operating system” needs ongoing updates
✔️ How knowing your values helps you choose the right opportunities
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Sarah Doody and Career Strategy Lab
00:38 Episode Overview and Open House Context
01:26 Sarah Doody's Background and UX Career Coaching
02:31 Steven's Journey and Career Strategy Lab Experience
04:13 Building Confidence and Telling Your Story
06:25 The Power of Community and Networking
09:55 Mindset Shifts and Career Value Criteria
13:03 Freelance and Consulting Success Tips
16:01 Final Thoughts and Advice
18:53 Conclusion and Next Steps
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Join Sarah Doody's Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.
👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
In this special coach takeover episode Erin, one of the coaches inside Career Strategy Lab's UX job search accelerator, breaks down the three most important things UX and product professionals should focus on in Q4 to set themselves up to get hired in Q1 of 2026.
Whether you're feeling stuck, doubting your materials, overwhelmed by your portfolio, or unsure what support you actually need, this episode gives you a strategic and human approach to moving your job search forward.
Erin shares what she and the CSL team are seeing every week while reviewing resumes, portfolios, and LinkedIn profiles—and the biggest patterns that determine whether someone gains traction or stays stuck in place.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ Why you must rethink who you’re getting job search feedback from
✔️ How inaccurate feedback erodes confidence—and what to do instead
✔️ The “back to basics” portfolio reset that outperforms flashy trends
✔️ Why hiring managers want clarity over cleverness (and no, you don’t need animations)
✔️ How to build trust through your case study storytelling
✔️ How to determine what level of support you actually need—structure, community, coaching, or therapy
✔️ Why Q4 is the perfect time to prepare for Q1 hiring surges
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Career Strategy Lab
00:38 Three Key Strategies for Getting Hired in Q1 2026
01:11 Assessing Feedback on Your Career Materials
05:50 Back to Basics: Improving Your Portfolio
09:19 Getting the Support You Need
16:04 Recap and Final Thoughts
18:49 Conclusion and Additional Resources
19:32 Special Message for Job Seekers
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Join Sarah Doody's Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.
👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
Applied to 50+ UX or Product jobs & still no interviews or offers? Get UX job search help.
Welcome to the Career Strategy Podcast with Sarah Doody, a UX Designer & UX Researcher with 20 years of experience who founded the UX job search accelerator, Career Strategy Lab. She's been doing UX career coaching since 2017.
Follow Sarah on: LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram
Transitioning from academia to UX can be daunting, but Ellen’s story proves it’s possible. After 17 years as a professor, Ellen pivoted to a Senior Content Designer role at TD Bank, with Career Strategy Lab providing the strategy, clarity, and confidence she needed to make the leap.
In this episode, Ellen shares how CSL helped her reframe her experience, confidently communicate her transferable skills, and land her UX role—all while navigating the challenges of switching careers.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ How Ellen navigated the shift from academia to UX
✔️ Why confidence was her biggest challenge and how CSL helped her overcome it
✔️ The importance of understanding how to communicate transferable skills
✔️ How she used the Compass Statement to connect her past experience to her new career
✔️ The value of having a portfolio and LinkedIn that clearly reflect your skills
✔️ Ellen’s tips on standing out during the job search with an authentic, tailored approach
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Sarah Doody and Career Strategy Lab
00:38 Episode Overview and Open House Context
01:25 Sarah Doody's UX Career Coaching Journey
02:29 Alan's Career Transition Story
03:39 Building Confidence and Skills with CSL
08:33 Mindset Shifts and Life Lessons
10:47 Practical Tips for Job Seekers
12:40 Final Thoughts and Encouragement
14:04 Podcast Outro and Additional Resources
14:44 Special Message for Job Seekers
⭐ Support the show! Leave a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts to help more UX professionals find this podcast.
🔔 Follow & Subscribe for weekly strategies and stories to help you grow in your UX career—without the burnout.
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Join Sarah Doody's Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.
👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
Welcome to the final part of our three-episode series designed to help you diagnose what's not working in your UX job search, so you can finally fix it. In this episode, Sarah breaks down the third and final symptom of a stalled search: Stranger Syndrome.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re being ghosted, not getting referrals, or struggling to build meaningful connections with hiring managers or colleagues, this one’s for you.
Sarah explains how to identify the five signs of Stranger Syndrome and why treating your career like a product can help you design, market, and sell yourself with more confidence and clarity.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ What “Stranger Syndrome” is, and why it’s stalling your UX job search
✔️ 5 specific symptoms to watch for in your networking and interview process
✔️ Why relationship-building is more important than cold outreach
✔️ How to “microwave” cold relationships and reconnect with old contacts
✔️ The power of the Product of You framework (Design. Market. Sell.)
✔️ Why skipping clarity work keeps you stuck in a cycle of job search rejection
Related Episodes:
147: [Part 2/3: Diagnose Your UX Job Search] Are you an invisible genius in your UX career?
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction and Purpose
00:38 Diagnosing UX Job Search Problems
01:56 The Product of You Philosophy
07:36 Understanding Stranger Syndrome
08:49 Symptoms of Stranger Syndrome
16:08 Overcoming Stranger Syndrome
18:35 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
24:10 Career Strategy Lab Invitation
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Join Sarah Doody's Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.
👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
In this episode, Sarah sits down with Phoenix, a Career Strategy Lab (CSL) member who shares what it's like to be in the middle of their UX job search transformation.
Phoenix opens up about the identity crisis that came from trying to be what companies wanted and how shifting toward a product-thinking approach—treating their career like a system—led to clarity, confidence, and traction. This is a must-listen for any UX or product professional feeling stuck, unfocused, or uncertain about how to move forward in today’s job market.
You’ll hear Phoenix share the exact moment things started to click, the biggest mindset shifts since joining CSL, and how things like a simple resume rewrite not only clarified their value—but also unlocked a potential $20K salary bump.
Whether you’re pivoting into UX, climbing toward leadership, or simply tired of second-guessing yourself, Phoenix’s story will help you see what’s possible when you stop trying to be someone you’re not and start owning what you bring to the table.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ How Phoenix went from feeling irrelevant to in control of their UX career
✔️ Why “conforming” to what employers want actually backfires—and what to do instead
✔️ The power of the compass statement and how it transforms resumes, portfolios, and interviews
✔️ How systems thinking applies to both UX and job search strategy
✔️ The emotional journey of building a personal brand that reflects your true strengths
✔️ Why clarity is more powerful than pep talks when it comes to confidence
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Career Strategy Lab
00:38 Episode Overview and Open House Context
01:22 Q&A with Phoenix: UX Job Search Insights
03:59 Phoenix's Journey: From Uncertainty to Clarity
07:33 The Power of a Strong Resume and Compass Statement
20:04 Emotional Impact and Personal Growth
24:19 Advice for Job Seekers and Final Thoughts
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Join Sarah Doody's Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.
👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
Think you’re great at what you do but still not landing interviews? You might be stuck in Invisible Genius Mode—and it’s costing you opportunities.
In this episode, Sarah introduces the second major UX job search roadblock in her diagnostic series: Invisible Genius Mode. It’s the frustrating space where you know you're qualified—and so do your colleagues—but your resume, portfolio, and LinkedIn aren’t making it clear to hiring teams.
Sarah walks through 4 key symptoms of Invisible Genius Mode, explains why it’s a marketing problem (not a skills problem), and gives you a simple framework to reposition yourself as an in-demand candidate.
This is Part 2 of a 3-part series on diagnosing your UX job search struggles.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ The 4 signs you’re stuck in Invisible Genius Mode
✔️ Why strong skills don’t matter if your materials don’t communicate them
✔️ How to use Sarah’s “Product of You” philosophy to stand out
✔️ Why your resume, portfolio, and LinkedIn must all tell the same story
✔️ What to change if you keep hearing “you’re a perfect fit” but still don’t get hired
Related Episodes:
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to UX Job Search Series
00:48 The Product of You Philosophy
06:01 Understanding Invisible Genius
08:10 Symptoms of Invisible Genius
10:37 Overcoming Invisible Genius
14:59 Conclusion and Next Steps
17:06 Final Thoughts and Resources
17:47 Special Message for Struggling Job Seekers
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Join Sarah Doody's Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.
👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
After a UX layoff left him uncertain about his next step, Jonathan, a UX leader with 20+ years of experience, turned to Career Strategy Lab to rebuild his confidence, reposition his experience, and take control of his job search. In this open house conversation, Jonathan shares what made the biggest difference: creating a tailored UX portfolio, clarifying his story, and rethinking how he showed up on LinkedIn.
Jonathan went from unsure and out of practice to landing multiple interviews, gaining recruiter attention, and receiving an offer—all while feeling more empowered about his future than ever before.
If you’re feeling stuck, scattered, or unsure about how to sell yourself in the UX job market, Jonathan’s story will show you what’s possible when you stop guessing and get strategic.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ How Jonathan reframed his UX career story after 20 years in the industry
✔️ Why he downsized his portfolio and tailored it to each job
✔️ The mindset shift that helped him stop underselling himself
✔️ Why confidence is built through action, not perfection
✔️ What helped him go from job seeker to in-demand candidate
✔️ Advice for anyone considering joining Career Strategy Lab's UX job search accelerator
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Sarah Doody and Career Strategy Lab
00:38 Episode Overview and Open House Context
02:10 Jonathan's Career Journey and UX Strategy
05:48 Tailoring Your Portfolio for Success
09:22 The Importance of Confidence and Community Feedback
16:45 Final Advice and Encouragement
20:10 Conclusion and Podcast Information
20:49 Special Message for Job Seekers
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Join Sarah Doody's Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.
👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
Are you a UX professional struggling to explain who you are or what you want next? You’re not alone. Here’s how to clear the fog and move forward with clarity.
If you’ve been feeling stuck in your UX career, unsure of your strengths, hesitant to apply for jobs, or wondering if you still belong in the industry, then this episode is for you.
Sarah introduces the concept of Career Identity Fog, a feeling of misalignment that can erode your confidence and sabotage your job search.
But there’s good news: You can use UX research and strategy tools on yourself to lift the fog and reposition your career with clarity and conviction.
This is Part 1 of a special 3 part series on diagnosing your UX job search challenges, so make sure you subscribe so you don't miss the other episodes in this series.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ What Career Identity Fog is—and why so many UX professionals are feeling it
✔️ 5 signs you’re stuck in identity fog (and how it’s slowing down your job search)
✔️ A 3-part framework to rediscover who you are and what you want in your UX career
✔️ Why confidence doesn’t come from trends—it comes from clarity
✔️ How one woman got hired by clearly articulating her ideal role on LinkedIn
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction: Overcoming Career Identity Fog
00:31 Understanding Career Identity Fog
01:21 Diagnosing Your UX Job Search
03:40 Symptoms of Identity Fog in Your Career
11:33 Job Search Diagnosis Checklist
17:21 Clearing the Identity Fog: Steps to Take
23:55 Real-Life Success Stories
28:02 Conclusion and Next Steps
29:46 Career Strategy Lab: Your Path to Success
31:25 Final Thoughts and Encouragement
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Join Sarah Doody's Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.
👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
After being laid off and earning a Master’s degree in UX, Melp still wasn’t landing UX job interviews. What changed? She stopped applying to everything and started thinking strategically.
In this Q&A from a Career Strategy Lab Open House, Sarah Doody talks with Melp, a UX researcher turned product manager, about the ups and downs of her UX job search journey. Despite years of experience, a Masters degree in UX from the University of Michigan, and hundreds of UX job applications, Melp wasn’t getting traction, until she joined Career Strategy Lab.
You’ll hear how she slowed down to get clear, challenged the narrative that she was “difficult to work with,” and started positioning herself as a strategic asset (not a liability). Her confidence began to rebuild, not because of a new certification, but because she finally saw her work for what it was: valuable.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ Why Melp chose strategy over hustle in her UX job search
✔️ How the Career Compass Sprint helped her identify what she really wanted
✔️ The mindset shift from “I’m difficult” to “I’m a high-impact team member”
✔️ Why she stopped over-preparing and started owning her story
✔️ How CSL’s “minimum viable portfolio” mindset freed her up to move forward faster
✔️ The difference between traditional career support and CSL’s strategic, in-depth process
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Career Strategy Lab
02:14 Melp's Career Journey and Challenges
03:39 The Importance of Finding the Right Job
05:25 Deep Dive into Career Compass Sprint
07:02 Confidence and Self-Discovery
09:02 The Diva Mindset and Environment Fit
17:02 CSL's Unique Approach and In-Depth Process
22:18 Final Thoughts and Advice for Job Seekers
24:13 Conclusion and Podcast Outro
24:53 Special Message for Job Seekers
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Join Sarah Doody's Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.
👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
If you’re in a UX job search and wondering, “Is it just me, or is UX hiring slower than ever?” you’re not imagining it. In this episode, we chat with Heather Cassar, VP of People at Narmie (a fintech startup) who brings 15+ years of experience leading hiring, people strategy, and global team growth at companies like Cash App, Uber, Block, and more.
Heather brings first hand experience about what's actually happening in UX and Product hiring, on both the startup and enterprise side.
In our conversation, we dig into why companies may take longer to hire, what’s changing in how hiring decisions are made, and what UX candidates can do to stand out, even when it feels like you’re sending resumes into a void.
Whether you’re actively applying or quietly watching the market, this episode will give you perspective and relief. Heather breaks down what’s happening behind the scenes of hiring pipelines right now and reminds us: just because it’s taking longer doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. There are still ways to stand out, you just need a UX job search strategy that reflects the reality of today’s job market.
Check out Narmi's careers page here to see if they're hiring for UX roles!
Topics discussed:
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro & about Heather’s background
00:45 – Why UX hiring feels “wild” right now
04:00 – What’s slowing down the hiring process from the company side
06:30 – The return of more rigorous headcount approval
07:15 – Why candidates are hesitant to even take recruiter calls
08:30 – The emotional risk of leaving one “meh” job for another
09:15 – Are contract roles bad? Heather’s surprising take
10:30 – Why contract roles aren’t a red flag to hiring managers
11:30 – What companies actually want to see on a resume
12:30 – The importance of storytelling over perfection
13:45 – How Heather screens for “intentionality” in candidates
15:00 – The challenge of employer branding at smaller companies
16:10 – Why “unicorn” job descriptions confuse candidates
17:20 – Heather’s thoughts on AI-generated portfolios and resumes
18:30 – Referrals vs. cold applications: which one matters more?
19:45 – Heather’s take on design exercises and case studies
22:30 – Why clarity + connection beats overly polished language
25:15 – Common mistakes candidates make in storytelling
28:45 – How to stay confident during a slow job search
34:10 – Heather’s advice to mid-career UX pros feeling stuck
40:25 – Closing thoughts & where to connect with Heather
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Join Sarah Doody's Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.
👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
Think you need a perfect UX portfolio and hundreds of job applications to land a senior UX role? Think again.
In this episode, UX career coach Sarah Doody talks with Laura, a former physician turned UX designer, about how she landed a Principal Product Design role, without even applying.
Laura shares how she turned a contract job into a 2.5-year role at Cisco, why she joined Sarah Doody's UX career coaching program, Career Strategy Lab, twice. Laura also shares how staying ready (not scrambling) made all the difference when her UX contract ended. Spoiler: she was hired again within two weeks, and her new VP of Product found her on LinkedIn.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ How Laura pivoted from medicine to UX and built her confidence along the way
✔️ Why having just one solid case study was enough to land multiple interviews
✔️ The key mindset shift that helped her stand out—even in a competitive market
✔️ How staying visible on LinkedIn led to a job offer without applying
✔️ Why portfolio perfectionism keeps talented UXers stuck
✔️ The benefit of specializing in a niche like cybersecurity or networking
✔️ How CSL’s frameworks helped her lead, mentor, and present more confidently
Timestamps:
02:06 Laura's Career Journey and Success with Career Strategy Lab
05:23 Importance of Testing and Networking
09:06 Specialization and Job Search Strategy
12:53 Applying Career Strategy Lab Skills in the Workplace
17:39 Final Thoughts and Advice for Job Seekers
19:29 Conclusion and Podcast Information
20:09 Special Message for Job Seekers
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Join Sarah Doody's Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.
👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
If you've ever wondered why your UX or product design portfolio isn't getting attention, this episode is your answer.
In this mini workshop, Sarah walks you through the most critical and overlooked fix you can make to your portfolio right now. It’s simple, strategic, and backed by nearly a decade of hiring results.
Spoiler: This isn’t about adding more screens or showing more visuals. It’s about how you tell the story of your work—and it all starts with how you use headlines.
Whether you’re mid-job search or quietly preparing for your next move, this portfolio tip will make your work easier to read, more memorable, and more effective for all 3 types of portfolio users: recruiters, hiring managers, and future colleagues.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ The 3 users of your portfolio—and what they actually need
✔️ Why most portfolios fail the “headline” test (and how to fix yours today)
✔️ How to use the inverted pyramid framework from journalism to structure your slides
✔️ Why a single, sentence-style headline can change how long someone spends with your work
✔️ The easiest way to assess and upgrade your portfolio in under 30 minutes
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Sarah Doty and Career Strategy Lab
00:43 Starting the UX Portfolio Mini Workshop
03:23 Understanding the Users of Your Portfolio
06:57 The Inverted Pyramid Framework
10:59 Practical Portfolio Tips and Examples
17:33 The Importance of Headlines in Your Portfolio
30:03 Q&A and Additional Advice
33:22 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Join Sarah Doody's Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.
👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
Applied to 50+ UX or Product jobs & still no interviews or offers? Get UX job search help.
Welcome to the Career Strategy Podcast with Sarah Doody, a UX Designer & UX Researcher with 20 years of experience who founded the UX job search accelerator, Career Strategy Lab. She's been doing UX career coaching since 2017.
Follow Sarah on: LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram
After 18 months of job searching with no results, Mariah was out of steam and questioning everything—until she joined Career Strategy Lab.
In this Open House conversation, Sarah talks with Mariah, a UX researcher and experience strategist with a background in customer support and consulting. Mariah came to CSL after burning out from a year and a half of job searching while trying to relocate to Copenhagen. In this honest episode, she shares what finally helped her stop spinning, reconnect with herself, and gain the clarity, confidence, and support she’d been missing.
Whether you’re new to UX or deep in burnout, Mariah’s story will remind you that it’s not too late—and you don’t have to figure it out alone.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ What job searching for 18+ months taught Mariah about burnout and boundaries
✔️ Why trying to “game the system” kept her stuck and exhausted
✔️ How the Compass Sprint reconnected her to her voice, identity, and strengths
✔️ Why the mindset calls inside CSL helped her finally feel like herself again
✔️ How to balance personal and professional identity in your job search
✔️ Her advice for perfectionists and overthinkers: take action, even when it’s messy
Timestamps:
02:27 Mariah's Background and Career Journey
04:21 Joining Career Strategy Lab: Initial Experiences
08:09 Impact of Mindset Calls
11:50 Tangible Actions and Career Roadmap
18:43 Final Advice and Closing Remarks
21:22 Podcast Outro and Additional Resources
22:03 Special Message for Job Seekers
⭐ Support the show! Leave a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts to help more UX professionals find this podcast.
🔔 Follow & Subscribe for weekly strategies and stories to help you grow in your UX career—without the burnout.
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Join Sarah Doody's Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.
👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
Apple's iconic marketing helps it stand out because it emphasizes it's benefits, not just features. Instead of just listing every feature of it's products, Apple leans into the benefits. And this tactic, is also how you can stand out as a candidate in your job search.
In this episode, we'll use resume examples to show how you can highlight your benefits, and not just your responsibilities and features. .
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ Why listing responsibilities makes your resume blend in (not stand out)
✔️ How to turn “feature” statements into compelling benefit-driven bullets
✔️ The marketing lesson Sarah borrowed from Steve Jobs
✔️ Real before-and-after examples from UX candidates
✔️ Why identifying and believing your own value is step #1
✔️ How to infuse your unique benefits across every career “touchpoint”
Timestamps:
00:40 The Importance of Focusing Beyond Responsibilities
02:35 Understanding the Product of You
04:32 Communicating Benefits Over Features
05:43 Real-World Examples of Benefit-Focused Statements
09:10 Becoming a Benefit-Focused Candidate
18:52 Recap and Final Thoughts
21:16 Conclusion and Additional Resources
22:04 Special Message for Job Seekers
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Join Sarah Doody's Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.
👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
Applied to 50+ UX or Product jobs & still no interviews or offers? Get UX job search help.
Welcome to the Career Strategy Podcast with Sarah Doody, a UX Designer & UX Researcher with 20 years of experience who founded the UX job search accelerator, Career Strategy Lab. She's been doing UX career coaching since 2017.
Follow Sarah on: LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram
Wondering how to stand out in UX without burning out? Former technical recruiter Ellie shares her story of switching into product design—and how Career Strategy Lab helped her get her confidence back.
In this episode, Sarah interviews Ellie, a former technical recruiter turned UX designer, who joined Career Strategy Lab while navigating new motherhood, burnout, and the unpredictable job market. Despite landing interviews, Ellie felt stuck—and knew she needed a structured, supportive way to rebuild confidence and stand out.
You’ll hear how she overcame perfectionism, reframed her job search, and built career habits that now extend beyond her portfolio and into her life.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ Why Ellie left tech recruiting to pursue UX—and doesn’t regret it
✔️ What made her say “yes” to CSL (and why she wishes she joined sooner)
✔️ How the Compass Statement gave her clarity and saved her time
✔️ The unexpected life shifts that came from doing the work with intention
✔️ Tips for breaking perfectionism and building habits that stick
✔️ What it’s like to join CSL while navigating new parenthood and burnout
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Career Strategy Lab
00:38 Episode Overview and Open House Context
02:23 Meet Ellie: From Technical Recruiter to Product Designer
05:19 Ellie's Career Journey and CSL Experience
09:16 The Impact of Career Strategy Lab
18:47 Advice and Final Thoughts
21:32 Conclusion and Next Steps
⭐ Support the show! Leave a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts to help more UX professionals find this podcast.
🔔 Follow & Subscribe for weekly strategies and stories to help you grow in your UX career—without the burnout.
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Join Sarah Doody's Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.
👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
Still waiting for recruiters to notice you? One small change to your LinkedIn profile could change everything.
In this episode, Sarah shares a real story from a workshop attendee who updated just one line of their LinkedIn profile and got five solid recruiter leads within 24 hours. You’ll learn what part of your profile to focus on (hint: it’s the headline), how to write it in a way that stands out, and why clarity and positioning matter more than lofty statements like “designing for impact.”
Plus, Sarah breaks down the three-part UX job search strategy you need to attract the right opportunities, without burning out, second-guessing, or rewriting your portfolio 100 times.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ The one LinkedIn section that has the biggest impact on recruiter outreach
✔️ Why most UX job seekers get their headlines totally wrong
✔️ How to apply product strategy thinking to your career
✔️ The 3 essential UX job search strategies: Design, Marketing, and Sales
✔️ What happens when you’re missing even one of those strategies
✔️ How to stand out in a sea of qualified candidates (without starting from scratch)
Additional Resources:
Episode 18: Avoid This Mistake When Writing Your LinkedIn Profile headline
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction and Purpose
00:38 The Power of LinkedIn Optimization
01:27 Understanding the UX Hiring Process
02:45 Crafting a Standout LinkedIn Headline
05:33 Three Key Strategies for UX Job Search
07:27 Invitation to the Workshop
08:10 Final Thoughts and Encouragement
09:29 Conclusion and Additional Resources
10:09 Special Message for Struggling Job Seekers
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Join Sarah Doody's Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.
👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.