Career Strategy Podcast with Sarah Doody | UX, Product Design, UX Research (Sarah Doody from Career Strategy Lab™)

Looking to stand out in job interviews and extend your visibility after the meeting?

In this episode of The Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah shares practical tips for making a lasting impression post-interview.

➡️ Learn how to craft follow-up messages that are personal and specific, ensuring that you stand out among other candidates.

➡️ Find out why creative follow-ups not only make you memorable but also prompt asynchronous interviews, elevating your chances of getting noticed.

➡️ Understand the importance of jotting down key discussion points after each interview to create impactful follow-up messages.

➡️ Dive into a short, succinct episode that reveals actionable strategies for boosting your interview game, making you a standout professional in a competitive job market.

➡️ Discover how small, thoughtful gestures can significantly impact your job search.

Join Sarah in unlocking the potential of post-interview follow-ups to propel your career forward and please leave a review if you find this episode helpful.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Reminder → Enrollment's open for our 3-week UX Portfolio Sprint. Doors close on March 22 or when seats are sold out!

Feeling worried about explaining career breaks in your resume? You're not alone. In this episode, we debunk the myth that work history gaps are a red flag to hiring managers.

With insights from LinkedIn's research, we show how normalizing these breaks is increasingly accepted.

In this episode:

➡️ Discover how LinkedIn's career break feature can help you openly represent time off and translate the skills gained during your break to potential employers.

➡️ Learn why embracing your career journey, from caregiving to dealing with pandemic waves, is an asset.

➡️ Dive into why it's crucial to align with companies that value your experiences, and how to spot these opportunities.

Ready to reframe your perspective and feel empowered about career breaks? Then this episode is for you.

Share it with someone who might be worried about their breaks too!

00:00 Gaps in resume are not a red flag.

05:10 Value career breaks, don't hide them.

07:07 Pandemic normalized career breaks, shift mindset, share.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 today's special episode, we dive into the raw, unfiltered experiences of alumni from the Career Strategy Lab who have recently secured new roles and transformed their careers. 

Our guests share their personal journeys and the pivotal moments that propelled their career success. From overcoming the fear of posting on LinkedIn to mastering the art of storytelling in portfolios and resumes, this episode highlights the importance of community, mentorship, and structured support. 

Listen as Senior Product Designer at Contact Monkey, Jamie, Global Head of Product Design & Experience at DSI, Duncan, and Product Designer at Zipline Retail, Jaden, discuss how Career Strategy Lab's curated curriculum and 5-sprint program helped them gain confidence, clarity, and authentic self-presentation in interviews.

Whether you're looking to switch careers, enhance your job search strategies, or build a standout portfolio, this episode is packed with actionable advice and real-life insights. Stay tuned as we uncover the transformative power of investing in oneself and the invaluable role of a supportive community in achieving career success. 

Timestamps

03:20 Left previous job, struggled, found new role.

09:00 Laid off while pregnant, found new job.

15:39 Mindset shift in job search for designers.

17:16 Emphasizing self-recognition and value in past work.

22:58 Support and connection in overcoming career challenges.

30:37 Owning your story is important in career.

37:04 Impactful case study sprint improved job prospects.

43:33 Choose best option for best results.

46:28 Investing in career advice paid off well.

55:48 Join strategylab.com/applyv2 for info and updates.

58:30 Course is primarily self-paced with weekly Q&A.

01:03:37 Portfolio important for interviews and confidence boost.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Do you feel like you’re stuck in your career? Maybe you’re bored, or you feel like your skills have plateaued or heck, even your salary has plateaued. Do you see current and former colleagues getting promoted or doing work that you wish you were doing?

If so, these might be signs that you’re stuck in your career. So, the big question is, how do you get unstuck?

In this episode, Sarah gives you 3 questions to ponder to help you get unstuck in your career. And sidenote, these questions can really apply to ANY situation – both work and personal.

Timestamps:

00:55 Introduction

02:39  We're gonna look towards the future to help you create an action plan for how you can get unstuck

03:25 So here are the three questions you can ask yourself to get unstuck in your career

03:54 First Question “Where am I now?”

05:06 How am I feeling? Are you excited every day? Do you dread every day? Do you live for the weekends?

06:00 Second Question “Where do I want to be?”

08:08 Third Question “What is stopping me?”

09:42 Now, this is where the magic kind of happens. After you've made this list of the things that are stopping you, I want you to read back through it and ask yourself, which of these things are truly within your control and which are not within your control?

11:01 “What's stopping me” list in the middle, get shorter and focus on things that you can control and influence.

12:13 And it's important to remember you can't do everything at once. You can't build every skill at once. You can't learn every software at once or get every degree at once.

14:08 Recap

14:32 Outro

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Imagine treating your job like a freelance gig—always ready for what’s next. This episode dives deep into why adopting a freelancer mindset can boost your career, even if you love your full-time job.

Join Sarah to explore real strategies that freelancers use to stay in demand: documenting wins and projects, nurturing relationships, keeping up with industry trends, and treating each project like a portfolio piece. You’ll hear practical tips on timeboxing tasks to fit career-building activities into your busy schedule. 

Whether you're eyeing a promotion, preparing for possible layoffs, or just curious about staying market-ready, this episode is packed with actionable advice you won't want to miss. Ready to rethink your career game plan? Tune in to learn how to stay ahead in today’s ever-changing job market.

Links

Sarah mentions another Career Strategy Podcast Episode about including numbers in your resume - check that out here!

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction: Understanding Job Market Demands

00:18 Meet Your Host: Sarah Duty

00:56 The Freelancer Mindset for Career Success

02:56 Avoiding Complacency in Full-Time Roles

04:50 Adopting Effective Freelance Habits

08:56 Documenting Wins and Building Relationships

12:55 Staying Updated with Market Trends

15:51 Always Be Open to New Opportunities

19:43 Conclusion: Implementing the Freelancer Mindset

20:59 Stay Connected and Share Your Thoughts

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

The screening call with HR is often your first opportunity to connect and leave a lasting impact.

Tune into this episode to learn what to expect, how to make a great first impression, and the things to NEVER say during an HR screening interview!

00:55 HR Interviews are where your soft skills can shine

02:39 People will remember stories far more than they're going to remember that you were a fast learner or team player

03:31 Recruiters want to see how you got where you are

05:01 Utilizing the Five Ws of Journalism to answer questions

06:36 Don't start talking about your personal life because it's a distraction from your professional life

08:37 Ask Questions! You know they are going to ask if you have any so make sure you’re ready

11:49 A quick recap

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Today's episode of The Career Strategy Podcast delves into the topic of ghosting in the job search, shedding light on why it happens and how to cope with it.

In this episode, Sarah shares a story from a restaurant manager's perspective, emphasizing that ghosting isn't a one-sided issue and is often not intentional.

This episode offers practical advice, encouraging listeners not to take ghosting personally, and to take proactive steps to gather context and follow up with potential employers.

00:00 Dealing with ghosting in the job search.

03:49 Ghosting may not always be intentional in hiring.

07:54 Follow up for information, keep it concise.

12:34 Control negative thoughts, focus on what's manageable.

13:45 Reframing ghosting in the job search.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 "Open House" episode, we're joined by Career Strategy Lab alumni, Laura, Malavika , and Carlos, who each have their unique stories of transformation and success to share with you.

Laura, a product designer at Cisco in Miami, shares her journey through the lab and the remarkable turnaround from nearly 60 job applications to landing interviews and a coveted job offer. Carlos talks about his career aspirations, the battle with rejection, and the momentous shift he accomplished with the help of CSL, now finding his groove at Covenant Eyes. And Malavika, whose persistence and newfound confidence through CSL led her to stand out among over 800 applicants to join Health Equity as a senior UX designer.

We discuss the value of experience, the importance of maintaining consistency, and the courage to confidently wait for the right job opportunity.

05:32 Deciding to switch jobs, facing role mismatches.

08:02 Job search frustration transformed by mentor program.

11:39 Gained confidence, stood out in designer career.

13:05 Rejection letter led to self-confidence and clarity.

19:03 Contract to full-time transition at Cisco.

22:58 Structured, relevant case study impressed interviewers.

24:55 Preparing to document for future case studies.

29:40 Fear of not landing job or mentorship.

30:57 Facing hesitation but achieved good investment outcomes.

36:19 Challenges for career switchers in framing experience.

39:57 Excitement for career strategy lab and alumni feedback.

42:53 Hiring doesn't slow down during holidays. Be ready to apply for jobs at any time.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 milestone 100th episode of the Career Strategy Podcast, we sit down with Jaden, a Career Strategy Lab alumni, who shares their transformative journey from apparel design to landing a senior product designer role at Zipline as a Senior Product Designer with a 15% pay increase from her previous role.

Sarah and Jaden discuss the struggles of job searching, the importance of a strong LinkedIn presence, navigating a career gap, and the power of storytelling in portfolios. Jaden emphasizes the value of investing in oneself and the benefits of the Career Strategy Lab curriculum, which helped shift their mindset and secure a job quickly. 

01:04 Celebrating Episode 100

01:37 Listener Engagement and Support

03:01 Case Study: Landing a UX Job

03:18 Introduction to Career Strategy Lab

03:39 Jaden's Career Journey

07:37 The Importance of Owning Your Story

09:18 Key Sprints in Career Strategy Lab

14:31 Advice for New and Prospective Members

17:10 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

17:38 Closing Remarks

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

This is a special episode of the Career Strategy Podcast that features an interview with Sarah on the AIGA Design Podcast with host Lee-Sean Huang.

In this episode, Sarah and Lee-Sean dive deep into the innovative concept of treating your career as a product. Sarah shares practical strategies for creating a "career roadmap" and "compass statement" to align short-term goals with long-term ambitions while balancing professional growth and personal life priorities.

Sarah reveals how applying design principles like research, iteration, and systems thinking can help job seekers and professionals stand out, avoid career plateaus, and make meaningful, intentional choices. Whether you're navigating a career transition or striving for your dream role, Sarah's actionable advice on continuous research, leveraging unique skills, and fostering authentic professional relationships is sure to inspire.

Key Takeaways:

• Why your career is the most important "product" you'll ever work on.
• How to use a "career roadmap" for strategic goal setting.
• The role of a "compass statement" in attracting the right opportunities and filtering out the wrong ones.
• The value of continuous research in recalibrating your career vision.
• Building genuine professional relationships without the stress of traditional networking.

Timestamps 

01:00 Treat career as a product for success.

03:58 "Treat careers like a strategic product roadmap."

08:12 Journey map visualizes experiences and emotions.

10:46 Continuous research is crucial for informed decisions.

16:25 Domain experience stands out in career switches.

19:32 Prioritize life's needs for career planning.

20:47 Vision clarifies goals; compass guides decisions.

25:44 Optimize LinkedIn headline for relevant searches.

28:00 Transitioning to product design from art direction.

32:44 Schedule regular engagement and post interested content.

37:32 Cover letters help capture recruiter's attention.

38:28 Use specific examples in your cover letter.

More about Lee-Sean

Lee-Sean Huang is a designer, educator, and storyteller who brings engaging conversations to the forefront of the design world on the AIGA Design Podcast.

Stay Connected:

Follow the AIGA Design Podcast for more thought-provoking episodes exploring the intersections of design, creativity, and professional development.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Sometimes we can get overwhelmed trying to make our careers into what we want them to be over night.

Breathe and remember that your career is a marathon, a journey, and that takes time!

This week’s episode was recorded during a long car ride, that helped inspire this episode’s message.

During this episode, Sarah recounts her experiences with marathon running, injuries, and the struggles of accomplishing long term goals. She explains how community helps you get where you need to be without the stresses that come with doing it alone.

00:47 If you can't tell, I am not in my regular home studio. I am actually driving in my car across Nevada

02:06  I wanna tell you the story of training and running my first marathon because your career, it's very similar to running a marathon

04:25 I was at the doctor's one day, just like a normal doctor's visit, but I'd always had this weird little bump kind of on my hip.

08:45 I was super proud of my 4 hour and 13 minute debut into marathons, I also thought, man, I think I can do better.

10:18 Between the New York City Marathon and that Toronto Marathon. The difference was for that Toronto Marathon, I followed the pacer and I kept them in my sight for most of the time.

12:05  Having these goals for me in my case running, help me really develop a lot of resilience, a lot of confidence, and have a support system. So that I don't fall into the trap of trying to do it on my own.

14:05 When you try and do things on your own, that's when negativity can creep in.

17:56 If you're struggling in your career right now, I would ask yourself, have I identified the big goal? And is it specific enough?

18:55 Are you trying to be your own coach or could you maybe benefit from a coach?

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Get ready to take control of your career with a 15-minute annual review! This episode is designed to help you reflect on the past year and set intentions for the year ahead. The questions shared in the episode will guide you through a simple yet impactful review of your accomplishments and aspirations.

Sarah suggests sharing this exercise with a friend for accountability and fresh perspectives. By focusing on what you did last year, what went well, what to stop and start doing, and the conclusions you reached, you'll gain clarity on your short and long-term goals.

Click here to get Sarah’s annual review workshop for just $29!

The episode also offers a valuable resource to dive deeper into the annual review process, providing practical tools for strategic career and life planning. Whether you're seeking career growth, work-life balance, or simply a clearer focus, this episode will equip you with actionable steps to steer your career in the right direction.

Tune in to kickstart a mindful and intentional year ahead!

02:02 The 5 review questions to ask yourself this year

03:07 Reflect on past year experiences, assign emojis.

08:16 Identify valuable conclusions, visualize 2025, align decisions.

10:29 Reflect on past year to improve 2025.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 part 3 of the 5 part series on the Job Search.

In this episode, Sarah discusses why playing the numbers game is not in your best interest as well as how to  recognize red flags in your job search, the value of your time and energy, and how to maximize each application you send.

01:34 Multiple times a week people message me, email me and say, Sarah, I've applied to a TON of  jobs and not had a single interview.

02:47 A lot of people just simply don't know what to do if they're applying to jobs and they're not getting interviews.

03:53 Reason #1 that you should stop playing the numbers game: It’s a red flag that something isn’t working

05:01 Reason #2 that you should stop playing the numbers game: Time & energy

06:41 Reason #3 that you should stop playing the numbers game: You aren’t concentrating enough on building relationships

08:06 Reason #4 that you should stop playing the numbers game: Your mental health

10:24 Recap

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Miss our UX careers workshop from Thu, Sep 26, about how to advance your career with UX and product principles? Or, prefer to listen on the go versus watch the video? Listen to the workshop until Wednesday, October 2! If you want to watch the video or have questions about Career Strategy Lab, just email us at hello@sarahdoody.com

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 today's episode, Sarah addresses a crucial mindset shift for your job search: how your ability to communicate can be more important than your qualifications. 

Often times professionals hyperfocus on their credentials but struggle to convey their value effectively.

Sarah explores common pitfalls in resumes and interviews, and actionable tips on improving your communication to boost your job search success.

Quotables

"Your qualifications don't matter unless you can communicate them, right?"

"If you're applying to jobs and not getting interviews it's more than likely a communication problem not a qualification problem."

Timestamps

00:15 Resume should have a clear elevator pitch.

03:15 Effective resume tips.

04:10 Self-audits and communication improvement on resumes and job search.

06:57 Aligned messaging during your job search.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

You are the leader of your career.

In this episode of The Career Strategy Podcast, Erin Lindstrom, a seasoned CEO and CSL coach, reveals the strategies for becoming the leader of your own career.

Diving into the idea that waiting for motivation is a trap, she stresses the importance of creating routines and structures tailored to your personal life. Erin challenges listeners to rethink their approach by stepping into the CEO role of "The Product of You." It's not just about job performance; it's about shaping a career that truly fits the life you aspire to have. 

Listeners will learn to take command of their career journey by knowing their worth, making strategic decisions like a CEO, and managing their internal team of one with confidence. The discussion also tackles imposter syndrome by calling for a balance of humility and assurance. Erin demystifies the concept of motivation, showing how action breeds the drive to succeed, and underscores the power of self-recognition in your professional progress.

Whether you're navigating uncertainty, wrestling with self-doubt, or simply looking to refine your career strategy, this episode offers practical tips and relatable advice to guide you forward. Tune in for a realistic roadmap to cultivating the mindset you need to design, market, and propel your career—and ultimately, yourself—towards your goals.

00:00 Crafting, marketing, and selling yourself for success.

03:32 Discussion about career development, CEO roles, and support.

09:57 Strategies for self-managing work and decisions.

13:17 Recognize and manage internal and external roles.

14:40 Struggling with progress, seeking recognition and validation.

19:58 Embracing confidence leads to humble self-assurance.

21:27 Boost confidence by owning gifts boldly, acknowledge achievements.

26:22 Reflect on past experiences, consider current capacity.

30:38 Take action to start the motivation cycle.

31:50 Track effort, progress to boost motivation cycle.

35:05 Effective communication through asking and answering questions.

40:04 Navigating self-doubt and growth in career.

41:43 Professional outcomes, powerful storytelling, identity formation, human experience.

46:06 Likability and openness matter in professional interactions.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 today’s episode Sarah addresses this question head-on!

Tune in to learn what Career Strategy Lab offers and how the unique group coaching program and community designed for UX, design, and tech professionals helps clients increase their confidence and achieve their career goals.

Sarah also addresses the lack of negative reviews and discusses why some people choose not to publicly share their experiences.

If you’ve ever been skeptical or simply curious, this fully transparent episode provides the clarity you need to get a real sense of what’s inside the Career Strategy Lab.

Quotables

"Whether you are marketing a physical product, a service, or yourself as a candidate, the principles of marketing still stay the same. You still need to do things that help you become more visible as a new business or a new product or a candidate. You need to catch people's attention. You need to make it easy for them to contact you."

"I am the marketing firm. And if you want to learn how to market yourself as a candidate, then career strategy lab is going to help you do that."

Timestamps

00:39 Addressing the Scam Question

00:58 Understanding Career Strategy Lab

02:36 Handling Negative Feedback

05:58 Marketing Insights and Transparency

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 Part 1 of a 5 episode series about the job search! In this series, we'll cover what to do before you apply for a job, why relationships are crucial, why you should NOT play the numbers game, how to research a company before you apply for a job, and how to deal with rejection.

In today's episode, Sarah discusses creating your career value criteria so that instead of panicking and taking the first offer you get, you can feel confident that you’re making the right choice.

01:49 The number one thing you need to do before you apply for a job? what this is, is you need to create something that I call your career value criteria.

03:20 If you don't think about these things, guess what? You might end up taking a job that doesn't align with what you want and what you need.

05:03 It can help you leverage one of the biggest superpowers in your job search, and that is your career community.

06:23 Let's imagine you're buying a house…

08:23 So beyond job title and salary, of course, here are the things we need to think about

09:50 A great way to brainstorm this is to think about the past jobs you've had.

11:31 As much as they are interviewing you, you need to be interviewing them.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 of the Career Strategy Podcast, guest host Erin Lindstrom takes over to tackle the topic of imposter syndrome.

Erin delves into the origins of imposter syndrome and acknowledges the societal constructs that have contributed to its prevalence, particularly for women and people of color. Erin provides insights into overcoming imposter syndrome from a mindset perspective and highlights the importance of building humble confidence to navigate career challenges. She offers practical advice for individuals at different career stages, such as climbers, switchers, and launchers, and emphasizes the significance of collaborative action and leveraging personal experiences.

Erin invites listeners to reflect on their own confidence spectrum and challenges them to explore the boundaries of humble confidence. A message of empowerment and personal growth resonates throughout the episode, providing valuable takeaways for individuals seeking to overcome imposter syndrome in their careers.

00:00 Addressing systemic barriers to leadership, overcoming doubt.

05:19 Overcoming imposter syndrome and self doubt.

09:02 Approach with humble confidence for success.

10:51 Coping mechanisms and building humble confidence.

14:18 Free masterclass on CEO mindset shifts.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Let’s dive into the hotly debated topic of portfolio formats. In this episode, Sarah provides valuable insights into the strategic considerations that professionals should keep in mind when considering how to put together their UX Portfolio.

Sarah discusses the pros and cons of website portfolios versus presentations and explores crucial factors to consider, such as time, cost, customization, user experience, and accessibility.

This episode is a valuable guide in making informed decisions about your portfolio format. Tune in to gain a fresh perspective on this critical aspect of your career development journey.

00:00 Choose portfolio format strategically for the best reception.

05:34 Portfolio not for learning code, consider costs.

07:58 Customize portfolio to match each job's requirements.

12:07 Use job application portfolio for interview presentation.

16:02 Portfolio on website for job opportunities unlikely.

18:38 Follow Sarah Doody on social media, share.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 of The Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah breaks down the 3 questions to ask yourself to discern whether or not an investment in career development is right for you.

1:03 Today we have 3 questions for you to ponder to help gain clarity around whether or not you're ready to invest your time and energy to grow yourself and your career.

1:12 It's normal to have big feelings when it comes to career.

1:59 Instead of trying to overcome the thoughts and feelings, consider embracing them. They might be shining a spotlight on things that are important to you.

2:22 Get clear on where you are now before asking yourself these questions

3:03 Career switchers, climbers, and launchers.

4:11 Many people go through their careers and never invest in themselves, and that is completely fine.

4:55 Are you willing to show up and do the work

6:46 You get to define what career growth means to you.

6:53 Career growth is not for everyone and that's ok.

7:48 This isn't about career growth at any expense. It's about career growth that makes you feel seen, expressed, heard, valued, and really purposeful in your work.

8:42 Career development is  a long-term investment.

8:56 Are you truly open to feedback?

10:24 Asking for feedback requires vulnerability

11:08 Be strategic about who you ask for feedback.

11:36 Sometimes you have to let go of ego in order to get where you're trying to go.

12:31 You are your ultimate asset.

13:27 When you're willing, open, and committed it's very hard to fail.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 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

Promotions don’t just happen—you have to advocate for yourself! 

In this episode, Sarah breaks down the inspiring story of Marco, a Senior Product Designer who secured a 37% increase in total compensation by leveraging his annual review process, gathering compelling evidence, and using the tools from Career Strategy Lab to make his case.

If you’ve ever wondered how to position yourself for a promotion, this episode is a must-listen. Sarah walks through Marco’s exact strategy, from recognizing his value to structuring his performance review, so you can apply the same tactics in your own career.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why promotions don’t happen by chance—you have to make the case for yourself.
• How Marco used UX case studies from Career Strategy Lab to showcase his impact.
• The importance of peer reviews and selecting the right colleagues to vouch for you.
• How to prepare for performance review season all year round—not just weeks before.
• Why documenting your achievements is crucial for both promotions and job searches.

Links & Resources:

• Join Career Strategy Lab to fast-track your job search or promotion

If this episode resonated with you, tag Sarah on social media or leave a quick review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!

🎧 Listen now and start setting yourself up for your next promotion!

Timestamps

00:38 The Importance of Strategy in Career Growth

01:02 Case Study: Marco's Journey to Promotion

02:02 Marco's Strategy: Leveraging Career Strategy Lab

04:15 Steps Marco Took to Secure His Promotion

07:54 Key Takeaways: How to Advocate for Yourself

10:28 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

11:36 Conclusion: Stay Connected and Share Your Thoughts

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Ever wondered why a coach without UX experience might be the secret to your job search success? This episode dives into just that, answering a common question: why are the Career Strategy Lab (CSL) coaches not UX experts? 

Discover how the CSL program helps people in user experience, product design, and tech fields navigate their job searches. The episode explains the importance of thinking of yourself as "the product of you” and why great job search coaching involves more than just industry-specific advice.

The episode uses a wedding planner analogy to explain why hiring someone with broad coaching experience is often more valuable than someone with deep but narrow expertise. Listeners will learn that the CSL team is carefully chosen to cover three crucial elements: design, marketing, and sales. Each coach brings a unique set of skills, from sales and storytelling to higher education and hiring experience. The team approach helps candidates market themselves effectively and build strong, authentic relationships. If you're stuck in your job search, this episode provides a fresh perspective on the diverse skills needed to succeed.

Timestamps 

00:00 Career Strategy Lab guides tech job searches.

03:52 Think of yourself as a marketable product.

07:31 Experienced planners can better fulfill your needs.

12:35 Steph helps personalize marketing for job seekers.

15:52 Holistic coaching goes beyond traditional UX feedback.

19:36 Contact us for job search guidance and support.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

This is a reminder that enrollment opens TODAY (Jan 29) at 4pm ET Career Strategy Lab's 3-month UX Job Search Accelerator. Here is the page to learn more or join: www.careerstrategylab.com/sprint ... enrollment will close on Fri, Jan 31 at 8pm PT.

Career Strategy Lab helps you optimize and finish your resume, portfolio, LinkedIn, etc and position yourself for a 5-figure salary increase, just like these people did:

• A Senior UX Researcher from Denver got hired at an insurance company with a salary increase of $15,000
• A UX Designer from Washington DC got hired at a digital strategy company with a salary increase of $25,000
• A Senior UX Researcher from San Francisco got hired at a real estate company with a salary increase of $75,000
• A Senior Product Designer from Seattle got hired at an e-commerce company with a salary increase of $19,000

Career Strategy Lab is the ONLY program that addresses everything in the UX job search and helps you look at it holistically  ... so you can stop having one-off calls, getting conflicting advice on Reddit and LinkedIn, and finally stop the second-guessing that's caused you to re-do your resume, portfolio, etc 15 times (or more?!)

Here is the page to learn more or join: www.careerstrategylab.com/sprint ... enrollment will close on Fri, Jan 31 at 8pm PT.

Questions? Send me a DM on LinkedIn or email me at hello@sarahdoody.com

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Struggling to get responses to your cold emails and messages? This episode of the Career Strategy Podcast dives into practical tips for improving your follow-up game. 

In this episode Sarah explores why people might not reply and how you can increase your chances of a response without being annoying. 

Sarah also breaks down a 5-day follow-up cadence and suggests experimenting with specific days and shares a simple and effective template for your follow-ups, ensuring you stay clear and direct. 

Plus, Sarah shares a handy hack involving TextExpander to make your follow-up process quicker and less stressful.

Tune in to learn why you should stick to one communication channel and avoid bombarding your contacts across multiple platforms.

Timestamps 

01:40 Set expectations, use GAIN framework for replies.

05:55 Limit follow-up to original communication method.

07:07 Create reusable email templates to expedite communication.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 discusses the common misconception that your resume should only be one page long

If you have a long and accomplished career history, why would you limit your ability to sell your experience?

There are many reasons to expand your resume, take a listen and see if you could improve how you sell yourself.

01:17  A one page resume isn’t enough most of the time

03:49 Recruiters and hiring managers want to see receipts of our abilities

06:01 When your resume reads like just an overview of your previous responsibilities, it makes it hard for you to stand out.

07:35 If you’ve received feedback from someone that your resume should only be one page, ask them why!

09:36 I’ve seen so many people in my programs expand their resume to two pages and quickly start getting interviews

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Stop awkwardly approaching people to get career advice and use the strategies from this episode to connect instead! In this episode of the Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah introduces listeners to the informational interview and teaches exactly how to ask for one.

00:58 What is an informational interview?

01:59 Before asking someone, make sure they don’t cover your questions in their public work

03:23 How NOT to start your email

05:36 Tip #1: Breaking the ice

06:28 Tip #2: Be specific

07:57 Tip #3: Give them options for communication

09:38 A quick recap of how to ask for an informational interview

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 stuck in a never-ending job search and unsure if investing in a career program is worth it? In this episode of the Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah breaks down the real cost of DIY-ing your job hunt and how a 3-month job search accelerator can actually pay for itself. 

In this episode, you’ll discover three crucial ways to rethink investing in your career. First, learn how the time spent job hunting affects your potential earning and find out why landing a job faster can mean extra cash in your pocket. Second, see how programs like the Career Strategy Lab can lead to significant salary bumps—enough to cover the program’s cost. Finally, explore flexible payment options to make career investments more manageable. 

Tune in to understand how smart investments can shorten your job search and boost your income. Don't miss the chance to turn strategic career thinking into real financial gains.

"If you get hired faster, like in 3 months instead of 6 or 9 or 12, that means you are now earning a salary, which then you can use to do a variety of things. Right? Obviously, you know, pay for your living expenses and such. But you might be able to pay down debt or invest in your retirement portfolio and things like that. And the sooner you can start doing those things, the more time that you have to leverage that principle of compound interest." - Sarah Doody, Host of the Career Strategy Podcast. 

Timestamps

00:39 Exploring Career Strategy Lab investment vs. DIY job search costs.

03:38 Invest time in career growth for faster, more effective job placements.

06:49 Evaluate job search costs; consider investing in Career Strategy Lab for significant benefits.

12:17 Flexible, interest-free payment plans enable affordable career advancement programs.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 explains the 2 types of weekly calls in Career Strategy Lab and shares examples of questions we've answered. Enrollment is OPEN until Wed, Nov 20. Visit www.careerstrategylab.com/sprint to learn more or join.

Career Strategy Lab helps mid and senior UX and Product people be ready to apply in 3 months or less and get hired with a 5-figure salary increases without applying to hundreds of jobs.

If you have any questions, feel free to email us at hello@sarahdoody.com

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Is it time to redefine what it means to "work in tech"? In this episode, Sarah shares how to find excellent jobs outside of the typical FAANG companies tech professionals tend to set their sights on.

1:11 Layoffs can be scary whether you have a job or not.

1:58 Regardless of your role at a tech company, your skills and expertise are valuable and can transfer to many other industries.

2:10 Just because your last job was at a tech company, that doesn't mean you can't get hired in another sector and honestly, maybe even with a salary increase.

2:25 It might be time to redefine what it means to “work in tech”.

2:58 Candidates often have a really narrow-minded aspiration of working at well-known tech companies.

3:35 Hiring has been a challenge for smaller, less well-known companies for years.

4:17 According to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, over the next decade, the healthcare industry alone will add 2 million new jobs to the economy.

4:48 Finding tech opportunties in other industries may be easier than you originally thought.

4:54 And if you can check your ego at the door and be open to working at companies that you hadn't considered before or maybe have never even heard of, you'll be applying sooner than you think.

5:09 Grab a piece of paper because here are the three practical things you can do to find tech jobs outside the tech industry.

5:30: Tip 1: Expand your job search beyond tech companies.

5:57: Tip 2: Leverage your previous experience.

6:23: If you had prior experience before switching to tech, you wanna consider looking for a tech job in your previous industry.

7:04: Tip 3: Use job boards that give you more control.

7:26 Check out Built In. They allow you to filter by industry or category.

7:46 Your skills as a tech professional are in demand at companies outside of the big tech giants.

8:04: You may even find these companies have a better work-life balance and offer higher salaries to retain their talent that for them is really hard to find.

8:20 Recap time!

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 considered joining CSL (or any career development program, really) you’ve likely wondered if it’s for YOU. In this episode, Sarah shares reflection questions to ask yourself to help discern if investing in a program is right for you.

1:20: Today I want to invite you to consider three questions to ask yourself instead of this common question

2:14: In design, we rely on research to make decisions all the time, and it's smart.

2:44: There is probably no perfect case study. No perfect example I could give you that is going to fully convince you that this will work for you.

3:45: Everyone has different circumstances and skills and variables and strengths that. Impact how they got to their end result.

4:38: The 3 types of people we support in CSL.

5:38: How to get access to the 4C Training.

6:20 Imagine we're in a workshop together and I want this to be very interactive. So grab a piece of paper, pause this if you need to.

6:50 I want to invite you to take a moment and do a quick little career assessment, if you will, and think about your career story so far.

6:58: How did you get to where you are today?

7:45: Notice what comes up as you start to think and reflect on your career story so far.

9:18: Question number one is, what are other times in your life or career when you've taken on some type of challenge and come out successful on the other side?

9:56: Question two is what other projects have you started and actually gotten your desired result?

10:41: Think back and imagine how you felt when you actually did those things right? That's gonna give you some confidence that you can do hard and challenging things in the future.

10:54: The third question I want you to ask yourself is, what is an example of something else you've learned?

12:21: When you have evidence from yourself about you, that you have the right character traits to do stuff, and you combine that with the testimonials of people similar to you then I can say with confidence that Career Strategy Lab, or frankly any other program or thing you do in the future, it will likely work for you.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Although a job offer is an exciting accomplishment, don't let your judgment be clouded by the salary or other shiny objects. In this episode Sarah shares reflection questions to ask yourself when you get an offer to determine if it’s the next best step for you as well as steps to follow when you determine it’s not.

Timestamps:

0:09: Don’t let your judgment be clouded by the salary or other shiny objects.

0:49: The goal today is for me to share how to decide a job is right for you or not so you can reduce the risk that you accept a job and then realize a few weeks or months later that it's actually not right for you.

1:30: Many people who work in tech are obsessed with working at a FAANG company.

2:13: Q1: Does the offer set you up for the role you want?

2:52: Q2: does the job align with your values and deal breakers?

3:51: Q3: What would my day-to-day look like and does that work with my lifestyle?

4:45: If you know the role is not right, let someone know and do this sooner than later.

4:53: Keep it brief and don't feel compelled to give extensive reasons about why you no longer wanna proceed with the interviews or the offer.

5:11: A simple note to the effect of, I've decided to pursue other opportunities is completely fine.

5:22: You never have to feel guilty about declining a job offer or removing yourself from the interview.

5:55: A job offer should boost your confidence and signal that together, your resume, your LinkedIn and your interview skills did a great job at communicating your skills and experience.

6:10: Take time to reflect on your job search and interview process that got you to this point. Write down anything you think that went well or that you do differently next time.

6:31: If you don't write it down, you will most likely forget when the next time comes around for job interviews or a job search.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Want to get hired in UX faster? Click here.

Welcome to the Career Strategy Podcast with Sarah Doody, a UX Designer & UX Researcher who also founded the UX job search accelerator Career Strategy Lab. She's been doing UX career coaching since 2017.

Follow Sarah on: LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram

In this episode of the Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah Doody breaks down the key steps to getting hired—whether for a full-time job or a freelance contract. Through the story of Emily, a former fashion and beauty marketer turned UX writer, Sarah illustrates how refining your resume, portfolio, and LinkedIn profile can dramatically increase your opportunities and earning potential.

Emily’s journey highlights the power of strategic career marketing—starting with a $35/hour contract, she grew her rate to $125/hour in under six months. Sarah shares actionable insights on how you can position yourself as the ideal candidate, attract job offers and freelance clients, and confidently communicate your value to decision-makers.

Key Takeaways

• Why the hiring process for full-time and freelance work follows the same fundamental principles.
• How Emily used Career Strategy Lab to refine her portfolio, LinkedIn, and resume—unlocking new career opportunities.
• The importance of treating every professional interaction as a potential interview.
• How to iterate on your resume, portfolio, and LinkedIn profile based on feedback.
• Why contract work can be a stepping stone to full-time roles (or a lucrative career path on its own).
• How Career Strategy Lab can help accelerate your job search—and even count as a tax-deductible expense for freelancers.

Time Stamps

00:00 Introduction to Career Strategy

01:01 Meet Emily: A UX Writing Success Story

02:34 Emily's Journey to Freelance Success

05:23 The Financial Upside of Freelancing

08:21 Key Lessons from Emily's Experience

11:55 Final Tips and Conclusion

14:12 Wrap-Up and Contact Information

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

This week’s episode is an interview with product designer and Career Strategy Lab alumni, Melody.

The job search can be a whirlwind of ups and downs. Melody shares how she kept a level head and used what she learned in our career coaching program to land a job with a company she had already applied to and been rejected from!

Listen to hear the real experiences, obstacles, and victories of a CSL Alumni!

00:38 A quick intro with Erin

02:21 Let’s meet Melody!

04:28 Interaction design is the future of design

08:31 The CSL crossover of art and business

11:15 The frustrating job search before joining CSL

15:07 Well made career materials can carry you a long way

19:43 The job search roller coaster

23:12 Keep applying, it can work out!

26:36 Melody’s tips for keeping a healthy mindset!

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 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

In this special Open House episode, Sarah Doody sits down with Career Strategy Lab (CSL) alum Sarah Page to discuss her journey navigating the UX job market. From being laid off as a creative director to landing a Senior UX Designer role in health tech, Sarah shares the mindset shifts, job search strategies, and portfolio insights that helped her stand out.

She also reveals the unexpected format of her interviews, how she positioned her diverse experience to appeal to hiring managers, and why letting go of what’s out of your control is a game-changer in your job search.

If you’re struggling with rejection, resume gaps, or feeling “overqualified” and “underqualified” at the same time—this episode is for you!

What You’ll Learn:

✅ Why job rejections often have nothing to do with you (and how to move forward)

✅ The power of a well-structured portfolio—and why Figma slides worked better than a website

✅ How to confidently position diverse experience (even across industries!)

✅ The mental shift that helped Sarah stay motivated through uncertainty

✅ How social proof (from hiring managers, peers, and CSL feedback) builds confidence

✅ The real role of interviews (hint: sometimes it’s just a vibe check!)

✅ Why finding the right company fit matters more than tweaking your resume endlessly

✅ How Sarah strategically approached salary negotiation and total compensation

Timestamps

01:50 Open House Overview

03:22 Success Stories and Strategies

05:47 Navigating the Job Market

09:15 Interview Experiences

13:45 Negotiating Job Offers

17:08 Advice for Job Seekers

20:45 Conclusion and Farewell

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

This show was originally aired on the NN/g UX Podcast  hosted and produced by Therese Festenden.

In this episode we dived into the heart of what makes a truly rewarding career – it's not the flashy title or the next paycheck, but the fulfillment you get from the impact you create and the skills you bring to the table.

Therese and I talked about curating a portfolio that reflects real-world problem-solving, not just textbook processes, and the value of strategic thinking for career advancement.

If you're chasing job satisfaction and meaningful projects in your UX journey, tap into your inner problem spotter and embrace every opportunity to learn and adapt. Remember, it's about making your role work for you, building a career that resonates with your passion, and planning ahead.

Learn more about NN/g here: nngroup.com

047: Crafting a Fulfilling UX Career Beyond Titles and Salaries

00:50 Sarah is self-taught in information architecture, focused on research.

03:46 Multiple self-administered titles, significant impact on career.

09:21 Transitioning careers requires self-education and confidence.

10:55 Acknowledging undervalued experiences in transitioning professionals.

14:06 Reassess goals and expectations when seeking UX work.

20:02 Encouraging individual research and skill development.

22:51 Regret over past portfolio choices, advice valuable.

23:56 Portfolio must reflect perfect UX process requirement.

27:26 Prioritizing efforts based on experience and need.

32:47 Focus on fulfillment beyond title and salary.

34:34 Reflect on key experiences to reach goals.

36:29 Embrace strengths, find gaps, present solutions diplomatically.

42:23 Fulfillment comes from meaningful work and impact.

45:14 Listen to podcast, follow Sarah on socials. Share.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 of the Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah goes over some of the common mistakes people make with their LinkedIn profiles and guides you towards creating a more dynamic and memorable profile.

Sarah shares:

- Creating posts of value, that would create conversation and interaction

- How to optimize your profile with strategic language

- The two hidden features of LinkedIn that help with visibility

00:21 The problem that I've noticed is that many people don't understand how to really effectively use LinkedIn

01:33 The name of the game here is we need to focus on quality and not quantity.

03:12 Tip #1: the four parts of your LinkedIn profile you must optimize

04:18 The headline is super important because this is heavily factored into the algorithm

08:08 The importance of the about section

10:23 Optimizing your work history

12:28 Five or more skills listed on their skills section are 27% more likely to be contacted by recruiters and hiring managers and talent acquisition specialists.

14:02 Tip number two, two hidden features in LinkedIn to help you be more visible to hiring managers and recruiters.

18:08  Tip number three is you need to strategically increase your visibility with the people and the companies

21:21 Recap

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 of The Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah talks to hiring managers from Gusto, Meta, Shopify, IBM, and a recruiter who works in the field of user experience to share some of their top advice to avoid making major mistakes and increase the chances that you stand out in the sea of candidates.

1:20 You have to think of the users or stakeholders involved in the hiring process and just like users and stakeholders of projects you work on.

1:47 The three stakeholders in the hiring process.

1:54 Stakeholder 1: Human resources and recruiters

3:06 Stakeholder 2: Hiring Managers

3:53 It's crucial that your cover letter, resume, and LinkedIn are filled with rich examples of what you've already done.

4:04 Stakeholder 3: Interviewer

4:57 People who are from other teams are less focused on your qualifications and more focused on your character.

5:34  Tip 1: Cover letters make a difference.

5:40 Amy Thibodeau, Head of Creative at Gusto on the power of cover letters.

7:14 Tip 2: Customize your materials and connect the dots.

7:32 McClean Donnely, Professor of UX Design at SCAD, on the principle of, "don't make me think" and how that principle applies to your job search.

8:49  The value of adding video to your career materials.

11:20:  Tip 3: Sweat the details of layout and design.

12:21 Tyler King, Senior UX Researcher on being cognizant of font, typeface, weights, etc.

12:57 Tip 4: Job descriptions are a wishlist.

13:04 Alec Brundrett, a product manager at Meta, on how job descriptions are written, why sometimes they aren't written very well, and why candidates need to see job descriptions as a wishlist and not a hard set of requirements.

15:09 Tip 5: Your career materials and interview skills are a preview of how you'll perform on the job.

16:40 Your portfolio is another deisgn asset with Lois Siegal, Director of Recruiting at UX Hires.

17:03 Your portfolio is just never done, you're always tweaking it, but get it to a point where you're proud of it.

18:40 Regardless of what you're interviewing for, you have to think about the steps that you're taking through the process and be able to articulate it.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 been stuck in an endless cycle of tweaking, redesigning, and overanalyzing your UX resume, this episode is for you. Sarah breaks down why perfectionism keeps you from landing interviews, how to shift your mindset, and what you should focus on instead. She also shares why conflicting resume advice from too many sources slows you down and how Career Strategy Lab can help you streamline your job search with a clear, strategic approach.

Plus, Sarah announces the 1-Week Resume Sprint happening February 10-14, 2025, where you’ll create a recruiter-ready, ATS-optimized resume in just five days. Save 35% with the code RESUMELASTCALL.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ Why endlessly tweaking your resume is delaying your job search

✅ The dangers of Frankensteining feedback from multiple sources

✅ How to create a minimum viable resume and start applying now

✅ The biggest resume myths that might be holding you back

✅ Why clarity in your resume, LinkedIn, and portfolio is crucial for landing interviews

✅ How Career Strategy Lab can help you build a job search strategy that works

Join the 1-Week Resume Sprint (Feb 10-14, 2025):

If you’re ready to stop overthinking your resume and start getting interviews, join Sarah for a 5-day Resume Sprint inside Career Strategy Lab. You’ll get step-by-step lessons, feedback, and expert guidance to create a recruiter-friendly resume that actually works.

👉 Sign up now at careerstrategylab.com/maven

Timestamps:

01:08 The Resume Sprint Announcement

02:45 The Resume Rut: Why Perfection is the Enemy

04:09 Breaking Down the Resume Rut

09:20 The Importance of a Clear Career Strategy

12:07 How Career Strategy Lab Can Help

15:53 Community Support and Feedback

20:32 Conclusion: Get Out of the Resume Rut

Resources & Links:

🔹 Sign up for the 1-Week Resume Sprint

🔹 Related Episode: Why One-Page Resumes Are Overrated

🔹 Learn more about Career Strategy Lab → careerstrategylab.com

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Unlocking potential in your career can often feel like a maze with no clear exit. This episode takes you inside one of our weekly Q&A calls that we do with our Career Strategy Lab clients. These calls allow our Career Strategy Lab members to come together in real-time to talk through their wins, struggles, and questions. Forget edited scenarios; you’re getting the raw and real questions that our clients grapple with, and the practical advice provided by our expert coaching team.

In this episode of the Career Strategy Lab, you'll hear from individuals in different stages of their UX careers as they tackle challenges like articulating work, determining the ideal number of bullet points for their resume, and curating a UX portfolio with just the right amount of case studies. The discussions delve into whether it's better to stick to a career path closely or to pivot when unique opportunities arise, even if they don't perfectly align with long-term goals.

Have questions? Join us in Career Strategy Lab to get your questions answered and career materials critiqued!

00:00 Tips to improve your "about me" or what we refer to as a Compass Statement

03:39 Suggest 2-3 bullet points, vary by content and context.

08:47 Portfolios vary, no set limit. Tailor to showcase skills. No one-size-fits-all.

10:33 Submit assets after going through the curriculum to match CSL standards, avoid quadruple work for feedback.

16:07 Discussion about decision-making mindset and past experience parallels.

20:22 People are encouraged to share and listen to others' experiences for support.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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

Would you ever design a product without doing user research first? Of course not. So why do so many UX professionals walk into job interviews without researching their users—the interviewers?

In this episode, Sarah Doody shares a simple but powerful strategy that can completely change the tone and outcome of your UX job interviews. You’ll learn how to connect on a human level with interviewers by doing just a bit of thoughtful research—and how those small moments of connection can tip the scales in your favor.

This isn’t about manipulation. It’s about building trust, showing empathy, and making your job search more human.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ Why researching your interviewers is a game-changer

✔️ How one candidate at Meta used a single question to create a 5-minute connection

✔️ What to look for in someone’s LinkedIn, blog, or social posts

✔️ Examples of conversation starters that feel natural—not forced

✔️ How to show up as thoughtful, intentional, and memorable in your interviews

Whether you're early in your UX career or a seasoned pro, this episode will help you build stronger relationships—and better results—from every interview.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Career Strategy

00:56 The Power of Human Connection in Interviews

01:29 Real-Life Example: Making a Personal Connection

02:54 LinkedIn Post Breakdown

04:05 Why UX Research Matters in Interviews

05:27 Tactical Tips for Interview Research

08:18 Creating Conversation Starters

09:37 Conclusion and Homework

11:04 Final Thoughts and Contact Information

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

This week’s episode is hosted by CSL Coach Erin Lindstrom with special guest, Malavika Oak, a CSL Alumni!

Tune in to hear what led Malavika to UX and her career journey from working at startups, getting laid off, and with the help of Career Strategy Lab, landing a new role that she describes as a “dream job.”

00:38 Intro with Erin

01:55 Meet Malavika

04:51 Looking for mentorship in the UX world

07:26 Being the only designer at a startup

11:25 Her new role

14:29 Slowly getting better and better at interviews

17:03 Tips for parents and other who are juggling multiple responsibilities

19:25 But why UX?

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Struggling with getting responses to your cold messages? Discover a straightforward approach to crafting communication that's more likely to get you a reply. This episode dives into a four-part structure called the GAIN framework, designed to hone your messages to be concise, clear, and effective. Learn why keeping things short is critical and how specificity in your queries can significantly up your chances of receiving the response you need. Plus, avoid common mistakes like overly long messages or unclear intent that might be sending your emails straight to the ignored pile.

Want more support? Grab our communication swipe files and so much more inside of Career Strategy Lab.

00:00 Be clear, concise, and specific in messaging.

05:45 Use strong anchor when reaching out professionally.

09:18 Efficient email communication framework for networking.

10:32 Use GAIN framework for clearer, impactful messages.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 part 4 of the 5 part series on the Job Search!

In this episode, Sarah discusses the importance of researching what kind of work environment a company has LONG before you apply by using social media to your advantage. She covers covers how to discern which sources to trust, how to learn about a company's culture, and how to vet reviews and comments you might find online.  In your job search, you do not have time to waste. By researching companies in advance, you'll avoid applying to companies that don't align with what you're looking for and you'll better equip yourself with questions if you apply and do get job interviews!

02:06 Workplace culture is so important because we spend a lot of time and energy at work

03:21 Research Strategy #1: Following employees on professional social media platforms

04:46 Research Strategy #2: Look at the social media presence of the company or your specific department of interest

06:54 Research Strategy #3: Read company reviews and consider reaching out to HR about any concerning reviews you see

09:04 Recap

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 doing enough to stay ahead in your career? 

In this episode Sarah discusses why you should always be applying, even if you're happy with your job. 

You’ll learn the two main scenarios where this practice can make a difference and why it's important to apply for jobs right up until you start a new role.

Even if you’re comfortably employed, Sarah also shares the benefits of keeping your resume, LinkedIn profile, and interview skills sharp.

Tune in for actionable advice on how to take charge of your career and always be prepared for whatever comes next.

Quotables

“If you're in a job and you really have no plans on leaving, I think it's a very healthy exercise to explore other roles at different companies from time to time."

"It's not until you look outside of the confines of your current job that you realize: wait a sec, I really like the structure of this company's teams or these benefits or their salary or their job title or who knows what."

Timestamps

00:32 Always apply for job opportunities to grow.

04:45 Applying while employed helps gauge worth, reduces anxiety.

08:06 Use job search tools, set up alerts. Apply.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Everyone says that recruiters spend barely any time on resumes, but is that true?

This week Sarah shares her tips to keep recruiters engaged so they never spend less than a minute on your resume.

After this, be sure to listen to Episode 29 to learn more about the one page resume and how it could be selling you short!

00:19 Spoiler Alert: It’s a myth!

01:07 Put yourself into the shoes of a recruiter

02:52 Consider the design of your resume

05:45 Instead of a list of responsibilities, go into detail, give examples

07:02 What is your conclusion? Myth or No?

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Career Switchers are incredibly well positioned for jobs in tech but so many of them don’t realize it. In this episode of The Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah shares 3 common mistakes career switchers make and how to avoid them.

0:31: Today I'll share some tips for career switchers to stand out by avoiding some common mistakes and mindset traps.

0:50: I want you to know that as a career switcher, you are not starting from scratch. You don't need to start from the bottom. So stop assuming you'll get hired into a junior role and need to work your way up or take a pay cut.

1:12: Skills like communication, critical thinking, writing, teamwork, and dealing with conflict are TIMELESS.

1:30: Companies who are hiring don't just look for candidates who know all the right software or methodologies, because these things can be taught much faster than soft skills.

1:58: Number one, stop hiding your experience because you don't think it applies and is connected.

2:05: As a career switcher, you have a major advantage over many candidates.

2:28: How to leverage your previous experience on your resume and LinkedIn profile.

4:07: Number two, stop waiting for the perfect job and strategically apply. Rejection is okay.

4:35: Launch early and launch often. This applies to your job search too.

5:48: Applying to jobs is a test. It's an experiment to see if your resume, LinkedIn, et cetera, can get you an interview. Rejection in your job search is feedback.

6:04: Rejection is not a definition of your self worth or a signal that you're doomed in your career or your life.

8:43: Number 3, Three, don't skip the portfolio because you don't think you have anything to put in it, and don't go spend weeks or months making fake projects.

6:44: Remember, just because you have not held a job with the literal word UX in the job title (or whatever job title you want in the future) does not mean you haven't been doing these things already.

7:36: A portfolio is not just meant to showcase the hard skills involved in the job you want next.

7:53: Software changes and can easily be taught, but skills like these are timeless and take much longer to learn. So highlighting these skills might give you an edge over other candidates.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

"Playing the numbers game isn't a strategy; it's a recipe for burnout."

In this episode of The Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah debunks the popular advice to apply to as many jobs as possible and shares a more effective way to land the career of your dreams.

Timestamps:

0:19 Congrats on getting hired, Tessa!

1:42: Why would you keep applying if you haven't received an interview after 30, 50, 100 or more roles applied to it?

2:16: You should not play the numbers game in your career.

2:34: The numbers game is not a strategy. It's a recipe for burnout.

3:39: Another problem with applying to tons of jobs is that you probably won't have time to customize your resume and cover letter for each job you apply to.

4:50: Cover letters are not dead.

4:57: Stop focusing on the quantity of jobs applied to, and instead focus on applying to fewer jobs, but more of the right jobs for you.

6:06: Write these down! I will not play the numbers game in my job search and I will not gamble with my career.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Navigating a career change or climbing the job ladder can be daunting, but guidance and support make all the difference. In this episode of The Career Strategy Podcast we take you behind the scenes into an Open House for CSL where you’ll meet 2 professionals, a Senior User Researcher and a Lead UX Designer, who worked with Sarah and her team directly to improve their career materials and stand out in the crowded job market.

In this episode we’ll dive into the unique structure of the Career Strategy Lab, the proven program that breaks down job searching into manageable sprints, from creating a career roadmap to showcasing your portfolio. Sarah also leads a detailed discussion on the "inverted pyramid" approach for creating impactful portfolios that grab the attention of recruiters and hiring managers.

You’ll hear firsthand from CSL alumni, Meg and Craig, as they share their breakthrough moments and mindset shifts that propelled their careers forward.

Tune in to this episode to learn strategies for crafting compelling resumes, portfolio headlines, and maintaining progress without striving for perfection. 

Timestamps

00:00 Exciting alumni experiences, portfolio workshop, Career Strategy Lab.

08:16 Program guides career path through structured process.

11:38 CSL program helps build materials, provides support.

16:39 Career Strategy Lab: Community-focused career development support.

21:50 Mindset calls tackle career-related emotional barriers.

26:58 Experienced in process; not alone finding work.

35:37 Focus on communication strategies for career advancement.

42:20 Inverted pyramid structure delivers info strategically.

47:54 Craft headlines, supporting content, and proof carefully.

50:55 Inverted pyramid structure for effective storytelling and presentations.

57:11 Break down tasks; use templates; weekly support calls.

01:03:18 Career Strategy Lab benefits all career stages.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

The internet is FULL of information, but not all of it is as helpful as you may think.

This week Sarah speaks to some of the flaws of trusting everything you read and hear online and how to discern if advice is worth listening to.

01:17 What do you do when you have a question?

02:52 Start asking questions about your source!

03:53 Is the advice you’re getting even relevant to today’s job market?

04:57 We tend to worry so much about messing up, that we doubt ourselves.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Eager to boost your professional growth but struggling to find the time and right flow for your life? Figuring out how to best use your time is a regular topic inside of Career Strategy Lab as we help clients navigate how to focus on progress over perfection while juggling the realities of life.

In this episode of the Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah shares practical strategies to fit professional development into your life regardless of what your calendar looks like. 

From tips on scheduling dedicated time for growth to managing perfectionism and expectations, you'll learn how to navigate either a jam-packed schedule or, the ample free time a lay-off presents, to invest in yourself. 

Whether you're balancing a full-time job and other commitments or have an open calendar to focus on growth, this episode provides actionable advice catered to your unique situation. 

Get ready to uncover the importance of setting priorities, build a supportive community, and break tasks into manageable sprints to maximize your efforts. 

00:56 Making time for professional development: actionable tips.

03:46 Schedule professional development with focus and energy.

08:22 Commit to intentional, efficient professional development.

11:25 Break tasks, focus on energy, quality work.

13:17 Prioritize tasks, schedule and say no.

17:31 Learn practical tips for professional development journey.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 today’s episode Sarah shares valuable strategies for analyzing job descriptions in detail, so you understand how to highlight your most relevant skills and experiences.

You’ll learn practical tips for tailoring resumes and portfolios to catch a hiring manager's eye by emphasizing specific examples that match job requirements. 

Sarah also addresses the challenge of being perceived as overqualified and offers insights on presenting yourself effectively regardless of extensive experience. 

If you’re navigating a job search and wondering how to make your experience count, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help refine your approach and improve your chances of landing interviews.

Quotables

"It's not about your years of experience. It is about how relevant your experience is."

"Read and study the job description and look for things that they've mentioned that you have done and that you have stories to back up the fact that you've actually done those things."

Timestamps

00:38 Experience matters less, relevance is key.

05:11 Customize your resume, portfolio to match the job description.

07:55 Relevance over years of experience in hiring.

10:32 Tailor your approach, highlight stories, get interviews.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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

This episode was from a session on Maven! Click here to watch the replay.

If you’re applying to UX jobs and not getting interviews, your resume might be the problem—specifically, how it interacts with the Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

In this episode, Sarah Doody breaks down exactly how to format your resume so it gets past ATS filters and lands in front of recruiters and hiring managers.

You'll learn why you need TWO versions of your resume, what formatting mistakes to avoid, and how to tailor your resume for each job posting—without spending hours on every application.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ Why ATS matters and how it scans and ranks resumes

✔️ The difference between an ATS-friendly and a human-friendly resume

✔️ Why two-column resumes can sabotage your chances

✔️ How to use job descriptions to tailor your resume for better results

✔️ Three common resume mistakes that could be costing you interviews

✔️ Why a one-page resume could be hurting your job search

Timestamps

01:04 The Importance of a Strategic Resume

03:08 Understanding Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

06:24 How ATS Parses Your Resume

08:19 Formatting Your Resume for ATS

16:23 Common Resume Mistakes to Avoid

24:01 Recap and Final Tips

25:23 Conclusion and Contact Information

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

It can feel difficult to break into the tech field, or any industry, when you reach a certain age. You may feel like you’re being overlooked for simply your age. Let’s talk about that!

This week Sarah discusses the topic of ageism in the tech industry and some misconceptions people have about it. You can’t control your age, so instead you should concentrate on things you can change. Leverage the extensive experience you have. Soft skills learned through a lifetime of work are some of the hardest to obtain.

00:38 Am I too old to get hired in tech or user experience or really any field for that matter?

02:20 So how old you are is not within your control. You can't change that, right? what you can change is how you talk about experience

03:37 If you are a little older and worried about how your age might be perceived by a potential employer, et cetera, I want you to know that with more experience comes more skills and more knowledge.

04:39 Resilience, work ethic and other factors that might make someone a good team member, employee, manager, et cetera. These are skills that someone who might be just starting out in their career might not have developed as much as someone like you.

06:37 I thought it would be just interesting to highlight two people from my career coaching program, career strategy lab who were older and did get hired.

07:04 Ashley was in her sixties when she joined Career Strategy Lab.

08:36 David  was in his fifties when he joined Career Strategy Lab

09:58 It costs companies a lot of money to hire employees, and the average cost in the United States is about $4,500 to hire a new employee

11:24 So the three things that I want you to think about concerning ageism in getting hired and in the tech and UX or frankly any industry

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

A few times a year we open the doors to Career Strategy Lab and host an Open House so prospective clients can learn about the program and get to know some of our clients. In this episode, we’re sharing the audio from our last Open House (it’s an imperfect podcast episode but we think the stories are worth sharing!) 

During this episode, you’ll hear from three Career Strategy Lab clients (two Product Designers and a Senior UX Designer) on how to tackle mindset issues like imposter syndrome and procrastination as well as how they improved their communication skills and confidence in CSL.

Tune in to hear how these three women accepted new job opportunities by applying the “Product of You” framework Sarah teaches in Career Strategy Lab.

02:00 Work meeting, questions, introductions, Career Strategy Lab.

05:26 Enhancing communication skills through enrolling in CSL.

09:08 Focused on single case study with significant impact.

13:01 Surrounding with career-focused community creates accountability.

14:22 Embrace promoting yourself to communicate your value.

18:04 Consistency in touch points shapes brand perception.

23:36 Coaching and CSL sessions significantly improved performance.

25:35 Optimize resume for ATS, keep it simple.

30:33 Mindset calls provided support and guidance.

34:45 Program rekindled confidence and passion for work.

37:17 Allie found his flow; advice on sprints.

40:54 Organize sprints for career roadmap and job search.

43:36 Detailed course materials for career development available.

45:51 Weekly sprint check-ins, events, job alerts available.

49:35 3-month CSL course requires dedication.

51:35 Encouraging self-compassion and growth in career.

55:42 Private questions? Use the email or link.

57:44 Thank you for listening to career strategy podcast.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Yes or no?! 🤔

Everyone wants to know whether or not it’s recommended to put projects that didn’t launch in their portfolio and if it’s worth talking about during interviews.

Here’s the quick version; when creating your portfolio and resume, use every amazing example of your skills you can.

Why would you avoid using a project that didn’t go public? If you did the work, then show it off! Launching isn’t the only part of the story.

Tune in to episode 36  to learn more about how to talk about your unlaunched projects with power.

00:58 The short answer, yes!

02:00 Stop thinking about why you can’t, and start thinking why wouldn’t you?

04:35 Projects don’t launch ALL THE TIME.

04:58 Be professional. Don’t use an interview to complain about the failed launch.

05:40 A quick recap

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 falling into the trap of getting career advice from too many sources? 

In this episode of The Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah explores why a piecemeal approach to job searches and career advancement can lead to confusion and wasted time. 

Join Sarah to discuss the common mistake of piecing together advice from various sources, such as resume reviews, LinkedIn critiques, and one-off coaching sessions, and how this often results in disconnected and conflicting feedback.

After listening, we hope you consider a more holistic approach, where your unique goals and situation are taken into account.

Key Takeaways:

1. Avoid Conflicting Advice:

• Gathering input from multiple sources can lead to a lot of conflicting opinions and suggestions, leaving you more confused than when you started. A consistent approach can streamline your path.

1. Tailored Strategy Matters:

• Just like in physical therapy, personalized plans are crucial. A piecemeal approach may leave you with disconnected advice that doesn’t take your specific goals and situation into account.

1. Long-Term Cost Efficiency:

• While piecemeal services might seem cost-effective initially, the time and money you spend in the long run—without achieving your goals—can outweigh the benefits. A holistic, personalized approach can provide better ROI.

Timestamps 

00:00 Piecemeal approaches lead to disconnected and conflicting advice, causing confusion.

03:34 Why individualized professional help yields better results.

09:20 Sending your resume for reviews without providing context leads to conflicting feedback, causes costly rework and delays in job applications prolonging unemployment.

11:14 A piecemeal approach to job searching can be stressful and inefficient.

14:26 Career Strategy Labs' job search accelerator for its holistic approach.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 stuck trying to wrap up your UX portfolio because your massive project is taking forever to complete?

Today we've got an insightful episode for all the UX designers out there grappling with how to present large projects in your portfolio. 

In this episode, Sarah discusses the strategy of breaking down large projects into smaller, more manageable pieces, making your portfolio not only easier to complete but also more appealing to recruiters and hiring managers. 

Tune in to discover how this approach can streamline your job applications and better showcase your expertise.

Quotables

"It is perfectly fine to break up a very large project into multiple smaller projects for the purposes of your portfolio."

"By taking a larger project and breaking it up into chapters, you can all of a sudden have a portfolio with 3, 4 projects in it."

"What we want is to show the recruiters and hiring managers the evidence, the examples, the receipts."

Timestamps

00:32 Introduction to Career Strategy Podcast

00:38 Handling Large Projects in Your UX Portfolio

01:40 Breaking Down Large Projects into Smaller Sections

04:33 Tailoring Your Portfolio for Job Applications

07:38 Conclusion and Final Tips

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 Doody delivers a hot take on a common mistake in UX portfolios: focusing too much on showcasing the product and not enough on showcasing the designer. Drawing on her experience reviewing thousands of portfolios since 2017, Sarah explains why it's critical to highlight your decision-making process, iterations, and problem-solving skills to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers.

Timestamps

00:44 Understanding the Recruiter's Perspective

02:41 Key Elements to Highlight in Your Portfolio

03:00 Showcasing Your Decision-Making Process

03:49 The Importance of Iteration and Trade-offs

06:42 Collaboration and Learning from Projects

08:40 Conclusion and Additional Resources

Key Takeaways:

1. Sell Yourself, Not Just the Product

• Your portfolio should showcase how you think, not just the shiny end results.
• Recruiters and hiring managers are the users of your portfolio, and their needs differ from internal stakeholders.

1. Common Portfolio Pitfalls

• Reusing slides and presentations designed for team meetings or stakeholder updates.
• Treating your portfolio like an investor pitch deck, focusing on visuals rather than process.

1. What Recruiters and Hiring Managers Want to See:

• Decision-Making Process: Explain why you chose specific methods or solutions.
• Iterations and Evolution: Show how your designs evolved and improved.
• Trade-offs: Highlight how you handled constraints like budget, time, or team capacity.
• Challenges: Share how you navigated setbacks or unexpected problems.
• Collaboration: Demonstrate how you worked with peers or across departments.
• Lessons Learned: Reflect on what you gained from the project and how it informs your future work.

1. Reframe Your Portfolio:

• Treat it as a showcase of your thinking and not just your output.
• Avoid the temptation to make it a "Shark Tank" pitch for your project.

Resources Mentioned:

• E91:  No, you don’t need 3-5 projects in your UX Potfolio to apply for a job
• E85: Q&A about UX portfolio formats, case studies, tailoring your portfolio, & more
• E60: Create a portfolio that stands out by focusing on your benefits, not features as a candidate
• Blog: 8 UX Portfolio Website Mistakes To Avoid
• Career Strategy Lab: A 3-month UX career coaching program to help mid and senior-level professionals navigate their job search and secure roles with five-figure salary increases.

Connect with Sarah:

• Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn: @SarahDoody

Enjoyed the Episode?

• Share it with a friend or colleague!
• Rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.

Thanks for listening! Catch you next week. 🎙️

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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, we’re taking you inside a Career Strategy Lab Open House, where we chat with Jane, a UX researcher who landed a Principal UX Researcher role at Whole Foods—despite having no prior U.S. work experience or connections!

Jane’s story is an incredible example of what’s possible when you shift from a scarcity mindset to a strategic approach in your job search.

🔹 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ Why treating your career like a product roadmap leads to better opportunities

✔️ How Jane overcame imposter syndrome and job search doubts

✔️ The biggest mistakes she made before joining Career Strategy Lab

✔️ The power of clarity in choosing the right roles and companies

✔️ How she landed a job above the level she applied for

✔️ Why negotiation isn’t just about salary—it’s about strategy

Whether you're feeling stuck in your job search or just need some motivation, Jane’s experience will inspire you to take action and own your career strategy.

✨ Considering Career Strategy Lab? Jane shares why she believes it’s a priceless investment in your future.

🎧 Tune in now and get ready to rethink how you approach your job search!

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Let’s be real, taking the next step in your career can be exhausting.

The process of getting clear on what you want, finding aligned roles, tweaking your career materials, making connections and so on is filled with highs and lows.

It’s not uncommon for each rejection or a lack of response to send you into a spin BUT, there are things you can do to manage your emotions, stay regulated, and continue down the path while taking space for the big feelings coming up.

In this episode, Sarah dives into the world of feelings to discuss how to manage yours to avoid being TOO negative and/or overly confident.

00:52 Managing your emotions is important for so many reasons

01:58 We need to acknowledge our emotions or they may get in the way!

03:36 What if you’re not in the right state of mind when a big opportunity presents itself?

04:49 You need an emotional outlet

06:06 Rejection shouldn’t define you as a person OR a professional

09:23 Try to accept bad news from potential employers with an air of grace

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 inspiring episode of the Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah sits down with Steven, a Career Strategy Lab (CSL) alum who transitioned from uncertainty to launching his own UX research agency. Steven reflects on his journey, from overcoming self-doubt as a career switcher to building confidence, leveraging mentorship, and creating a sustainable business model. Sarah and Steven explore the role of community, structured career tools, and storytelling in navigating the job search and scaling an agency.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How to balance career switching and climbing in your professional narrative.
• The power of mentorship and community in building confidence and finding opportunities.
• How CSL’s structured resources and critiques accelerate career progress.
• Tips for marketing and storytelling as a freelancer or agency owner.
• Why action, not perfection, is key to career success.

Key Takeaways:

• Mentorship Creates Opportunities: Proactively seeking mentorship can open doors to projects and collaborations you may not have anticipated.
• Community Matters: A supportive environment accelerates learning, boosts confidence, and helps you see new possibilities for growth.
• Storytelling Sells: Strong communication and storytelling skills, honed through CSL, are vital for job seekers and agency owners alike.
• Action Over Perfection: A bias toward action—leveraging critiques and taking small steps—yields measurable results in the job market and beyond.
• Structure is Transformational: Tools like the career roadmap and portfolio critiques help organize thoughts and focus efforts for maximum impact.

Timestamps

00:30 Meet Your Hosts

01:08 Episode Overview and Audience Context

02:03 Steven's Career Journey

02:55 Navigating Career Challenges

07:57 Building Confidence and Community

12:30 Applying Career Strategy to Business

16:19 Final Thoughts and Advice

18:50 Conclusion and Farewell

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Career Strategy Lab – Transform your job search with step-by-step support and actionable insights.
• Connect with Sarah: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter.

Share Your Feedback:

Did you enjoy this episode? Let Sarah know! Email her at hello@sarahdoody.com or tag her on social media. Don’t forget to rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts if you found this episode helpful.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

What would change if you treated your resume and portfolio as products? What would an MVP look like? In this episode of the Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah shares how to beat perfectionism and get solid versions of your resume and portfolio out into the world.

0:30: Is it possible that your resume portfolio isn't ready because of the bar you've set for yourself?

0:55: In this quest for perfect, it's easy to pass on applying to lots of awesome job opportunities.

1:40: I want you to think of your resume and portfolio as products.

2:19: The bar to stand out is low.

2:59 There’s a good chance you’re focused on the wrong details.

3:31 You should have two versions of your resume, one for people and one for the ATS.

3:40: Resume Tip 1: don’t try to make your resume 1 page.

4:07 Resume Tip 2: Don't start the bullet points in the work experience section with vague statements.

5:18: Resume Tip 3: Don't over-design or under-design your resume.

5:34: You don't want the design of your resume to literally distract the reader from the content.

6:01: You need to be consistent with font sizes and use headings to draw attention to different sections of your resume.

6:13: Put space between each bullet.

6:55: Portfolio Tip 1: Number one, don't skip context. I cannot emphasize this enough.

7:36: Portfolio Tip 2: Don’t just skip screenshots.

8:34: In addition to annotating the screens, you should label them so that people know what screen this.

8:51: Portfolio Tip 3: Don't write your portfolio like you're writing answers to a UX exam.

10:30: Get someone who knows what they're talking about to give you feedback.

11:54: Don't just say, “what do you think of my resume?” Instead, be more specific with your questions.

13:27: Set aside time to re-listen to this episode.

13:40: After you do that, then identify two quality people who you could ask to review your resume or portfolio.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 of the Career Strategy Podcast, host Sarah Doody dives into the transformative journey of Leon, a Career Strategy Lab (CSL) participant who navigated the ux jobs search after an unexpected layoff. Leon shares insights into how creating a career roadmap, leveraging a standout resume and portfolio, and embracing community support helped him secure a role in UX design at a government contractor. Sarah and Leon discuss actionable strategies, including the importance of aligning your job search with a clear vision, the value of mindset work, and breaking the myth of needing multiple projects in your portfolio.

Timestamps

01:01 Meet the Coaches

01:12 Open House Insights

03:14 Career Roadmap Creation

06:43 The Importance of Community

09:31 Tactical Resume and Portfolio Tips

16:33 Navigating the Job Market

20:11 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How a career roadmap can serve as your "North Star" in the job search.
• The impact of combining tactical elements (resume, portfolio) with mindset and confidence-building.
• Why one excellent portfolio project can trump multiple mediocre ones.
• The importance of persistence and deliberate job applications.
• How community support and structure can keep you motivated during challenging times.

Key Takeaways:

• Focus on Vision: Start with a career roadmap to clarify your direction before tackling resumes or LinkedIn profiles.
• Quality Over Quantity: A single well-crafted portfolio project can land you your dream job if it clearly highlights your skills and fit.
• Stay Structured: Treat your job search like a job or school to maintain routine and productivity.
• No Shortcuts: Success comes from following proven, structured approaches rather than chasing hacks.
• Community Counts: Sharing struggles and wins within a supportive group builds confidence and accountability.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Career Strategy Lab – Learn more about Sarah’s program that helps professionals level up their job search.

Share Your Feedback:

Did this episode resonate with you? Tag Sarah on social media or email at hello@sarahdoody.com. If you found this episode helpful, don’t forget to rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts. 

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Ever wondered if LinkedIn's "open to work" feature makes you look desperate? In this episode Sarah tackles that question head-on.

You’ll learn why professionals using the green "open to work" banner receive more recruiter messages and have higher chances of engaging with hiring managers. 

Sarah also debunks some myths, explaining why being visible and proactive on LinkedIn can outweigh any potential downsides.

Whether you’re considering turning on the green banner or looking for more efficient ways to connect with recruiters, this episode offers valuable insights you won't want to miss.

Timestamps

00:22 LinkedIn's open-to-work feature debated; consider intentions.

04:38 "Open to work" boosts LinkedIn engagement significantly.

08:00 "Open to work” boosts LinkedIn job visibility.

12:22 Be cautious of LinkedIn advice, consider benefits.

Resources Mentioned

3 Tips To Announce You're 'Open For Work' On LinkedIn

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 today's episode Sarah shares an incredibly practical and efficient tip that's going to revolutionize your job search strategy: batching. 

Sarah discusses actionable advice on how to group similar tasks to stay focused and save time, from updating your resume to networking on LinkedIn. 

She walks you through different approaches and schedules for organizing these tasks & staying accountable through completion, whether on a weekly or monthly basis.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by your job search, this might be the game-changer you need to take control and reduce stress in your job search.

Timestamps

00:05 Unlocking career success, seeking impact, flexibility, growth, and fair pay.

01:51 Streamline your job search with batching; grouping similar tasks together.

04:05 Effective job search strategies.

06:22 Maximizing job application efficiency by batching cover letters and resumes.

07:18 Protect your calendar, schedule and stick to your job search plan.

08:10 Importance of planning & taking ownership of your calendar for accountability.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Why do your cold messages to recruiters go unanswered? In today's episode of The Career Strategy Podcast, we dive into the reasons why your emails and DMs might be getting ignored by recruiters and hiring managers. 

This episode discusses the importance of shifting from being a cold contact to a lukewarm one, making you more recognizable and increasing the chances of getting replies. You’ll learn five simple LinkedIn strategies to help you warm up your connections. 

Find out how to leave thoughtful comments, avoid robotic replies, and move valuable conversations to direct messages. Plus, hear a real-life success story about how these strategies worked for a senior UX researcher. If you’re ready to transform your networking approach and boost your job search outcomes, hit play and take the first step today.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction

01:00 Why Cold Messages Get Ignored

01:41 The Solution: Leveraging LinkedIn

02:35 Five Strategies to Warm Up Your Connections

05:16 Strategy 1: Follow Key People

05:56 Strategy 2: React to Their Content

06:23 Strategy 3: Leave Thoughtful Comments

07:10 Strategy 4: Be Authentic, Not Robotic

08:15 Strategy 5: Move Conversations to DMs

10:05 Real-Life Success Story: Danielle

11:38 Final Tips and Action Items

13:06 Conclusion

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 of the Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah talks about the REAL reason most candidates get overlooked when applying for jobs and what to do about it.

1:17: If you didn't get an interview, you need to understand the root problem and not just the symptom.

2:30: Standing out when you apply and during interviews goes way beyond wordsmithing, bullet points, and massaging pixels.

3:12: If what you're talking about only scratches the surface, then you're gonna sell yourself short.

4:13: No amount of rewriting or redesigning can help if your story isn't solid.

5:19: What you need to do is, number one, review the job description for the jobs you are applying.

5:27: Second, you need to identify the skills and experience the companies are looking for.

5:34: Number three, you need to thoughtfully consider your previous experience and identify examples.

5:51: Step four is working those examples into your resume, portfolio, and interview answers.

6:14: Don't be afraid if your process had twists and turns and didn't follow the traditional way that you think something should have been done.

6:44: The perfect UX process does not exist, and you do not have to strive to represent that if it didn't actually happen.

6:56: This is your permission slip to showcase the messiness.

6:59: Go beyond just the 'what' of your work experience and let people in on the process.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Ready to make your resume stand out? In this episode, Sarah walks through a 11-question checklist to transform your resume and boost your chances of landing that dream job. From making sure your bullet points start with engaging action verbs to tailoring your resume for each job application, these tips are straightforward and actionable. 

You’ll learn: 

• Why columns might hurt your resume's chances in applicant tracking systems, and learn the importance of quantifying your achievements, even if the numbers aren’t huge. 
• Why a one-page resume could be holding you back
• Why adding space between bullet points is important and so much more… 

This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to polish their resume and make a strong first impression with recruiters and hiring managers.

Whether you're actively job hunting or preparing for future opportunities, this episode is packed with actionable advice to ensure your resume stands out.

Timestamps 

00:49 Optimize your resume with these 11 questions.

04:31 Start resume bullet points with unique action verbs.

08:00 Quantify achievements with specific numbers on resumes.

10:11 Use job description titles for better matching.

15:11 Use action verbs and numbers; tailor resume.

17:30 Avoid columns; they confuse applicant tracking systems.

23:23 Avoid "final," AI-related terms in resume filenames.

24:41 Ensure resume readiness using this detailed checklist.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

This week’s episode is a Q&A session with Sarah!

Tune in to hear the number one thing to do in a saturated job market, how to share case studies that are flagged as confidential, whether or not AI is a threat to UX careers and more!

01:16 Do everything you can to be visible to the companies you're applying to or where you wanna work

06:57 Don’t focus on the quantity of connections, but QUALITY!

11:11 Most people are only scratching the surface of their skills and experience

15:24 AI is not going to replace UX researchers

19:38 How can you use case studies in your portfolio when they’re flagged as confidential?

22:45 Using an educational case study can be tricky

27:56 Be where your potential clients are to stay on their minds

31:41 Relay to the interviewer not just what you’ve done, but the skills you used to do them

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 of the Career Strategy Podcast, we explore the impact of first impressions on LinkedIn and why complaining on the platform during a job search may not be the best approach. 

Sarah discusses the downside of posting negative content and offers practical tips for job seekers to make a positive first impression. 

Tune in to gain insights into alternative ways to express frustrations and job-related interests on LinkedIn. 

🎁 Get our free e-book, The Career Strategy Roadmap

00:00 LinkedIn users complain about job search treatment.

03:13 Negativity in posts can affect job prospects.

08:49 Engage and share insights for professional growth.

10:23 Share insights on LinkedIn for positive impression.

13:55 Spots available now, advance your career! 

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

This special episode of the Career Strategy Podcast features an episode of the Insights Unlocked Podcast powered by UserTesting. 

In this episode, Sarah Doody is interviewed by UserTesting’s CEO, Andy McMillan. They discuss navigating your UX career over the next one to two years and dive into crucial themes that resonate with UX researchers, designers, and product managers from coping with tech layoffs to understanding the impact of AI.

Key Topics Covered:

1. The State of UX Careers in 2024
2. Insights from UX professionals on career satisfaction and challenges.
3. Exploring opportunities beyond traditional tech companies.
4. Impact of Layoffs and AI on UX Careers
5. How tech layoffs and the rise of AI are reshaping career trajectories.
6. Leveraging AI as a tool rather than a threat.
7. Building a Career Roadmap
8. The importance of long-term planning and acquiring transferable skills.
9. Timeless skills like communication and critical thinking as career accelerators.
10. Opportunities in Non-Tech Industries
11. High-impact roles in healthcare, government, and education sectors.
12. The growing value of research-first mindsets in non-tech companies.
13. Practical Advice for Career Growth
14. Keeping your resume, portfolio, and LinkedIn profile updated.
15. Building business acumen and aligning research with organizational strategy.
16. The Role of AI in Research
17. AI’s potential in idea generation and data synthesis.
18. Why human context and critical analysis remain irreplaceable.

Actionable Takeaways:

• Create a career roadmap to strategically build skills for long-term growth.
• Regularly update your career materials to be ready for new opportunities.
• Expand your impact by developing business acumen and aligning UX practices with company strategies.
• View AI as a tool to enhance efficiency, not as a replacement for human expertise.

Time Stamps:

01:36 UX Professionals Share Their Career Insights

03:41 Navigating Layoffs and Economic Challenges

05:21 Exploring Opportunities Beyond Big Tech

09:49 The Role of AI in UX Research

14:30 Building a Resilient Career Strategy

18:54 Opportunities and Challenges in UX

26:31 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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

Welcome to another Open House episode of the Career Strategy Podcast! In this episode, Sarah Doody sits down with Jon Simmons, a seasoned product designer currently navigating the UX job search.

Jon shares his experience of revamping his portfolio, refining his job search strategy, and preparing for senior-level interviews after a layoff. He discusses how shifting his portfolio approach from a website to a presentation format significantly improved his job prospects and how structured storytelling and community support made a difference in his confidence and clarity.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ The importance of stepping back from just tweaking your portfolio and doing deeper self-reflection

✔️ How portfolio presentations (vs. websites) give you more control over your job search narrative

✔️ The role of mindset and confidence in positioning yourself for high-level UX roles

✔️ Why community and structured frameworks can prevent burnout and job search frustration

✔️ Jon’s insights on interviewing for principal product designer roles and adapting to today’s market

Timestamps

01:43 Episode Overview and Open House Context

03:14 John's Journey in Career Strategy Lab

07:12 Portfolio Presentation Insights

15:58 The Importance of Self-Reflection

18:03 Advice for Prospective Members

20:06 Conclusion and Community Highlights

21:47 Closing Remarks and Call to Action

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Navigating a layoff can leave you feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, and scared. In this episode, Sarah will walk you through how everything from feeling your feelings to updating your career materials.

This episode offers 9 practical things you can to do feel more in control and to save time as you navigate the journey to finding your next role. And, if you're happily employed, these tips can help you prepare just in case you ever face an unexpected layoff.

If you've recently experienced a lay off or spend time wondering what you'd do if you were to be laid off, this episode is for you.

00:00 Allow time to process, evaluate your finances, seek support.

05:37 Update your resume, LinkedIn, then career materials.

08:23 Use LinkedIn's "open to work" setting discretely.

13:42 Personalize messages, be active in communities.

15:26 Posting your vision to leverage visibility.

19:35 Find joy, recharge, and relieve stress.

21:52 The power of helping others.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 explains how the critiques in Career Strategy Lab work, including how many critiques you can submit, what you can submit, how you'll receive feedback, and more. Enrollment is OPEN until Wed, Nov 20. Visit www.careerstrategylab.com/sprint to learn more or join.

Career Strategy Lab helps mid and senior UX and Product people be ready to apply in 3 months or less and get hired with a 5-figure salary increases without applying to hundreds of jobs.

If you have any questions, feel free to email us at hello@sarahdoody.com

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Struggling to know what to post on LinkedIn during your job search? You're not alone, and this episode has you covered.

From sharing your expertise to engaging with people at companies you admire, you'll learn how to boost your visibility and create a strong first impression.

In this episode, Sarah shares why posting regularly and thoughtfully can make a difference when potential employers scroll through LinkedIn profiles and gives practical tips on how to curate content, start meaningful conversations, and share valuable resources. You’ll also learn about the importance of engaging with posts from companies where you want to work and how this can influence LinkedIn's algorithm in your favor.

Sarah also highlights what not to do, like turning LinkedIn into a place for complaints, ensuring your profile gives off the best vibe.

Listen in for actionable advice that could help land you more interviews and get you noticed by the right people.

Quotables

"The moment someone lands on your LinkedIn profile, they are 1 step closer to getting to know you and maybe seeing how you could be a great candidate for a role they're hiring for, whether they're hiring now or maybe in the future."

“When you share your knowledge, you increase your visibility. And when you increase your visibility, you are more likely to be seen and potentially stand out to people hiring or even just people who work at companies where maybe you want to work."

— Sarah Doody 

Timestamps

00:45 Overcome fear of posting on LinkedIn.

03:09 Increase LinkedIn visibility through regular, engaging posts.

07:26 Share expertise by explaining, increasing visibility and standing out.

11:34 Leverage LinkedIn for job visibility and professionalism.

12:57 Leverage LinkedIn for effective job search strategy.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Get ready to transform your approach to feedback! This episode delves into the art of giving and receiving critiques on career materials. 

Career Strategy Lab Coaches Erin Lindstrom, Becca Santilli, and Steph Knox share their extensive experience from reviewing thousands of resumes, portfolios, and LinkedIn profiles.

They discuss the importance of being specific when asking for feedback and how staying mindful of your goals can make the process more effective. 

Learn how different methods, like live sessions and prerecorded critiques, can help boost your confidence and refine your materials. 

Whether you're looking for a new job or aiming for a promotion, this episode will guide you to get the best feedback possible. 

Tune in to discover actionable tips that ensure you get the feedback you need to succeed.

Reflection Questions

1. What strategies do you typically use when asking for feedback on your career materials, and how can you apply Erin, Steph, and Becca's advice to improve your approach?

2. How do you handle receiving conflicting feedback from different sources, and what steps can you take to discern which feedback is most valuable to you as suggested in the podcast?

3. Erin mentioned the importance of building the skill set to improve any career material bullet point in the future. What specific skills or actions can you focus on to enhance this ability in your own career development?

4. Considering Becca's point about the importance of the compass statement in gaining clarity and confidence, how would you articulate your own compass statement, and in what ways might it serve as your North Star in your career journey?

Time Stamps 

00:00 Introduction and Special Guests

00:11 Understanding Feedback in Career Strategy Lab

00:42 Demystifying the Critique Process

01:30 Meet the CSL Coaches

03:17 The Critique Process Explained

04:50 Personal Critiquing Processes

06:07 Importance of Compass Statement

09:45 Live Calls and Community Support

11:36 Tips for Asking Feedback

16:12 Your Next Steps 

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 today’s episode, Sarah shares how to include numbers on your resume, even if you think you don't have any. 

Many people believe that only monumental achievements, like saving or making a million dollars, are worthy of metrics on a resume. But that's far from the truth! 

This episode will walk you through a simple mindset shift from focusing on outcomes to showcasing your processes. 

Sarah explores practical examples for various roles like user researchers and designers, illustrating how to quantify your work and make your resume stand out. 

Ready to boost your career strategy and grab that dream job? Tune in.

Quotables

“When it comes to job applications, change your focus from outcomes to processes."

"Many designers say, for example, I created a design system. Well, great! But let's highlight the scope by telling people more about that design system."

Timestamps

00:53 Elevate your resume with relevant metrics.

01:39 Examples of process metrics for different roles.

04:34 Including numbers enhances the power of resumes.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 discusses how to treat yourself and what you can offer to an employer like it’s a product. Do you know your core features? How are you marketing yourself? Are relationships important to “selling” myself? All these questions and more are answered!

01:16  I really believe that your career has a lot in common with a product and that the reason so many products fail is the same reason

05:23   Products can fail for three reasons:the design, the marketing, and the sales component

07:55  Every day you are trying to get people to buy into different things and the customers are your boss,  your co-workers, peers, etc.

10:59  It’s really important that you are doing small things to be marketing and selling yourself to stay visible

11:58  Do you have clarity on your core features? Products have features. You have features.

13:32 Question number one for you to ponder. Are you clear on the “design of you”?

17:55 Building trust with your audience is important. Without it, everything could come crumbling down based on your marketing choices

22:35  Recap

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 of the Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah does a deep dive into the UX mistakes commonly made with resumes and how to correct them to stand out from other candidates.
Sarah shares:

• Why you need 2 versions of your resume
• How to use a strategic summary effectively at the top of your resume
• Using verbs to amp up your bullet points and catch the attention of hiring managers

00:29 Your resume is a big factor in your job search, mainly regarding whether you get an interview or not

01:07 Okay, so let's get into the UX of your resume and some of those myths, and then we will dive into some of those tips as well.

01:42 So at a really high level, there's kind of three users of your resume

02:18 They want to know more than just you tick all the boxes of the job description.

05:41 So let's dive into the UX mistakes that some people are making on their resume

06:49 We need a human friendly version of your resume, and we need one that I call the applicant tracking system

8:51 Your resume, it has to be formatted correctly and it needs to have the right keywords

11:42 The second kind of UX mistake that some of you might be making on your resume is that you do not have what I call a strategic summary sentence at the top of your resume.

13:59  If you do not have a summary statement at the top of your resume, this would be something you could do really quickly today to improve the user experience of your resume

14:37  The third thing that a lot of people get wrong with their resume is that the bullet points in the work experience section sound, frankly, really weak and boring to the reader.

15:43  So how do you stand out? You do it by replacing “what I was responsible for” with specific action verbs.

19:26   If you've been applying to a lot of jobs and maybe not getting interviews, Start with your resume

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Tired of endless applications to big tech companies without any luck? This episode of The Career Strategy Podcast dives into industries outside of tech that are actively hiring for UX, product design, and tech roles. From health care to finance, education to retail, discover real data showing where job seekers are finding success. 

Sarah talks through why these industries are ramping up their hiring and how your existing skills can transfer seamlessly. Plus, you’ll get tips on how to refine your resume, portfolio, and LinkedIn to stand out. 

Listen in to get to know powerful strategies for tailoring your job search and hear exact companies that have hired within these fields. If you're a career switcher, this episode even covers how to leverage your past experience to gain an edge. Stop spinning your wheels and uncover new opportunities in growing fields.

Timestamps

00:00 Translate experiences; leverage resume, portfolio, LinkedIn.

04:49 Consider branching out from tech industry careers.

07:23 Diverse growth in health tech and fintech.

11:12 Ecommerce growth fuels demand for UX talent.

14:05 Fora Travel offers convenient travel planning services.

19:02 Explore niche job boards like BuiltIn, LinkedIn.

21:01 Follow, engage, and share the podcast.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Feeling stuck in your career or job search? Overwhelmed by the unknowns? This episode of The Career Strategy Podcast offers a practical tip to help you regain control and make intentional decisions.

By focusing on what you can control rather than fixating on outside factors, you can move forward with clearer direction. Learn how to strategically apply to jobs, improve the quality of your application materials, and leverage your network for a competitive edge. Take charge of your attitude and choose who to listen to, minimizing information overload.

00:40 Tips to make clearer, intentional decisions in career.

04:31 Focus on what's within your control.

10:34 Balance information gathering with taking actionable steps.

11:51 Share and discuss to help get unstuck.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

🎁 Get your free e-book, The Career Strategy Roadmap

Tired of the usual hustle of trying to make more connections without truly connecting? This episode of The Career Strategy Podcast cuts through the networking noise, offering a breath of fresh air with simple, down-to-earth strategies for building meaningful career relationships. In this ep, Sarah shares a quarterly plan for deepening ties with professionals who align with your goals and interests. By establishing clear career objectives, creating a targeted contact list, and fostering conversations beyond social media likes, you'll learn how to make every interaction count. 

00:00 Strategic tips for building relationships at work.

03:51 Create list of active platforms, engage intentionally.

06:13 Nurture relationships with check-ins and engagement.

09:15 Thank you and stay connected for more.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 part 2 of the 5 part series on the Job Search.

In this episode, Sarah discusses prioritizing making connections with people, following and engaging with people who work at companies you want to work for (without coming off as a creeper!), cold emailing hiring managers, and how to keep your messaging short and sweet.

01:27 Why you need to prioritize people over platforms in your job search.

03:03 How a lot of people successfully find and apply to jobs through the portal

04:38 Focus on connecting with people because people share about jobs before they ever hit the job boards.

07:12 I wanna go through an example that I saw on LinkedIn last year…

08:19 There's no perfect formula to use or template. You have to be strategic

10:54 You really need to proactively be seeking to create or nurture relationships in your job search.

12:57 If you have not prioritized people in your job search yet, it is not too late.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 discusses the number one thing holding you back in your career, the benefits of a community, honing in on your goals, and so much more.

01:30 What does advancing your career mean to you?

05:34 What plans do you have in place to get you to your goals?

08:03 Every goal needs a why, a purpose, a motivation

10:00 Set aside some time to map out a plan. What do you need to do to achieve your goal?

11:45 You need a community of like-minded people to help stay motivated

17:28 You have to embody the plan and believe in it

21:00 You can take action without strategy, but eventually you will lose focus and exhausted yourself

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 today’s episode Sarah addresses a topic that affects nearly every job seeker: the Applicant Tracking System, or ATS. With so much misinformation and myths swirling around about how ATS works, Sarah spends intentional time cutting through the noise to give you the real story. She’ll break down what an ATS is, how it processes your resume, and why it's crucial to optimize your document for these systems. Sarah also shares actionable tips to increase your visibility to recruiters and hiring managers. If you're in the middle of a job search or gearing up for one, this episode is packed with insights to help you navigate the complexities of the ATS and land your next role.

Quotables

“One of the myths out there is that the ATS is a robot rejecting people. And that is not totally true."

"You want to be customizing your resume for every job you apply to. Now that does not mean recreating it from scratch every single time. It could mean that you're just rewriting certain bullet points, reordering bullet points, maybe even removing bullet points to draw attention to the bullet points that are more relevant to that job you are applying to."

Timestamps

00:28 Applicant tracking systems organize and rank candidates.

04:01 Recruiters and managers make final hiring decisions.

08:37 Applicant tracking systems and self-ranking summary in hiring.

12:43 Understanding applicant tracking systems & its human impact.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 someone with 10, 15, or even 20-plus years of experience in user experience or product roles, this episode is tailor-made for you. 

Sarah breaks down how experienced professionals like you are still landing great opportunities in diverse industries, the crucial difference between settling and compromising in your job search, how overconfidence can mask underlying fears and why it's essential to embrace modern job search strategies to stand out and succeed.

Whether you're looking to climb higher in your current field or pivot to new opportunities, this episode is packed with actionable advice and real-life examples to help you strategize and thrive.

Quotables

"You have to communicate what you have done. You can't just rely on your qualifications."

"There is a difference between settling or sacrificing and compromise. And with compromise, you still have the power."

Timestamps

00:42 Career climbers: hiring, mindset, imposter syndrome tips.

04:28 Highlight accomplishments, not just qualifications, in resumes.

08:50 Recognizing bills, imposter syndrome, and career challenges.

10:27 Optimize career materials, LinkedIn; mindset essential.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 "Open House" episode, Sarah sits down with Career Strategy Lab alum, Kristin, a former graphic design professor turned UX professional, who joined Career Strategy Lab (CSL) as a “switcher”—someone transitioning to a new role or industry. Despite her extensive experience, Kristin found herself stuck in a role where her creative skills were underutilized. After 165 days in the program, Kristin successfully landed a government contract position with the Department of Energy, achieving a 25% salary increase and a significant shift in her responsibilities. In this conversation, Kristin shares insights on how she leveraged CSL’s structured approach, community support, and resources to transform her career trajectory.

Key Highlights

• Career Roadmap: Kristin explains how creating a detailed career roadmap helped her clarify her goals, target her job search, and develop a focused strategy for her resume, LinkedIn, and portfolio.
• Community Support: The importance of accountability, shared experiences, and inspiration from the CSL community in staying motivated and improving her work.
• Portfolio Design: Why you don’t need five projects in your portfolio to land a job—quality and clarity trump quantity every time. Kristin shares how she successfully showcased her skills with just two solid case studies and a smaller management-focused project.
• Mindset Shift: How CSL's mindset coaching calls provided support through the ups and downs of her job search, transforming feelings of inadequacy into confidence and resilience.
• Lessons Learned: Kristin’s advice for future CSL participants: embrace structure, take feedback, and focus on progress over perfection.

Takeaways for Listeners

• A career roadmap is essential for clarity and strategic job searching.
• Community and accountability can boost confidence and help you refine your work.
• Tailoring portfolios and resumes to hiring managers’ needs leads to better results.
• Mindset work is as critical as tactical execution in a successful job search.

Kristin's Advice for future CSL Members

1. Embrace the Process: “The structure and critiques were key for me. Any little bit of progress is progress, so take advantage of the feedback and focus on moving forward.”
2. Leverage the Templates: “The templates provided a foundation that made my work more focused and impactful.”
3. Join the Community: “The mindset calls and peer feedback were game-changers for staying motivated and refining my approach.”
4. Be Open to Growth: “It’s okay to ask for help, and it’s okay if it’s not perfect. Focus on progress over perfection.”

Timestamps

02:11 Kristin's Current Role and Background

03:54 Creating a Career Roadmap

07:30 The Importance of Community and Accountability

11:28 Tactical Advice for Job Seekers

14:03 Final Thoughts and Advice

18:02 Conclusion and Farewell

Resources Mentioned

• Career Strategy Lab

Connect with Sarah Doody

Follow Sarah on Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn for more career insights. Tag Sarah with your takeaways from this episode or send her a DM!

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

✨Reminder → Enrollment's open for our 3-week UX Portfolio Sprint. Doors close on March 22 or when seats are sold out!

In this episode of the Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah explores a crucial aspect of the job search process: attention to detail.

Drawing inspiration from a surprising source—the band Van Halen's infamous "no brown M and M's" contract clause—Sarah highlights the importance of demonstrating attentiveness in the job search. Through anecdotes and examples, she illustrates how failure to pay attention to crucial details can speak volumes to potential employers.

With actionable advice and thought-provoking insights, this episode offers valuable strategies for job seekers to elevate their approach and stand out in a competitive job market. Tune in as Sarah Doody shares valuable lessons on the power of attention to detail in the job search.

Timestamps

01:15 How to stand out in the job search

03:24 Testing attention to detail with Brown M and M's.

05:35 Secret words in instructions

06:09 Attention to detail is crucial in job search.

08:41 Thanks for listening, see you next time!

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 details the extra traits of who Career Strategy Lab was designed for. Enrollment is OPEN until Wed, Nov 20. Visit www.careerstrategylab.com/sprint to learn more or join.

Career Strategy Lab helps mid and senior UX and Product people be ready to apply in 3 months or less and get hired with a 5-figure salary increases without applying to hundreds of jobs.

If you have any questions feel free to email us at hello@sarahdoody.com

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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, Career Strategy Lab Coach, Erin Lindstrom, sits down with Katie Miller, an incredible Senior Researcher who was laid off who generously shares her path to finding her next role.

Katie’s story is an amazing one that exemplifies everything that we teach. She shares how she got into UX, how she dealt with the mindset challenges of the job search, and how CSL has helped her land her new role.

03:51 How Katie first got into UX

10:37 The “pedigree” of working at a FAANG company

17:16 What if you stopped replying to every recruiter and focused on the once who are actually looking for YOU

26:15 You can have your best interview and not get the job

34:53 It can be difficult sometimes, but trust that you’re good at what you do

39:24 Make sure to give yourself breaks

46:01 When an opportunity comes to add to your tool box, jump on it

49:29 Inclusivity is important for the research processes to bring a diverse data set

53:11 It all comes down to being your own best salesperson

57:27 Confidence in yourself and your work takes practice but it’s so worth it!

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 of the Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah delves into the intriguing concept of career compound interest. She draws parallels between smart financial decisions and strategic career moves, emphasizing how small investments in your career today can yield significant results over time.

Sarah discusses three key areas for creating a compound interest effect in your career: investing early, negotiating wisely, and building authentic relationships before they are needed. She offers actionable advice and real-world examples, highlighting the importance of proactive career management.

Tune in to gain valuable insights into unlocking exponential success in your professional journey.

00:00 Early investment in time and career important.

03:35 Update LinkedIn profile before starting job search.

07:08 Negotiating is crucial for long-term salary.

10:58 Build authentic, small professional network early.

14:20 Negotiate wisely, network for success, career roadmap.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Struggling with updating your UX portfolio? This episode of the Career Strategy Podcast dives deep into UX portfolios and offers practical tips for both seasoned professionals and those switching careers. 

In this episode, you’ll discover the benefits of customizing your portfolio for each job application and why creating a presentation format might be your secret weapon. Sarah shares advice on aligning your projects with job descriptions, maintaining visibility, and dealing with company policies restricting showcasing your work. 

Tune in to get strategies for breaking down large projects and understand the significance of making your work easy to digest for recruiters. 

Whether you're a freelancer or job seeker, learn why making yourself visible on platforms like LinkedIn is crucial. 

Timestamps

00:00 Updating resumes with years of experience challenges.

06:24 Customize your portfolio to match job description.

09:29 Tailor portfolio to recruiters, case study length.

11:21 Consider UX in all career-related materials.

14:33 Portfolio content: Quality over showing every step.

19:38 Increase visibility for job and freelance opportunities.

22:34 Adding work to your portfolio despite restrictions.

25:10 Conceal sensitive info when discussing healthcare projects.

27:34 Enhance portfolio, career coaching for UX professionals.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Thinking about pausing your job search until after the election? You might want to think again.

This episode of The Career Strategy Podcast tackles the common question: Should you wait until political uncertainty settles to move forward in your job search? 

Get ready to learn why holding off could actually set you back and why companies aren't hitting pause on hiring. The key is to stay proactive and not fall into the "election waiting game” because job markets don't stop for elections and continuing your job search now can give you a competitive edge. 

Sarah shares actionable tips like updating your resume, enhancing your portfolio, and reconnecting with your network, all of which can set you up for success even during uncertain times.

Why wait for a job rush post-election when you can get ahead now?

Timestamps 

00:45 Businesses are hiring now to meet goals for 2025, independent of political outcomes. Delaying job applications until after elections increases competition.

07:05 Focus on what you can control: prepare your resume, update your portfolio, optimize LinkedIn, build relationships, and start applying for jobs now, regardless of external uncertainties like the election.

08:30 Despite uncertainty in the job market, people are still being hired, especially in UX and product roles, even outside the tech industry. The Career Strategy Lab program helps job seekers build resilience and stand out regardless of external circumstances.

11:41 Job search shouldn't stop for elections; starting now is strategic.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

This episode originally aired on the Honest UX Talks Podcast.

🗂 instagram.com/honest_ux_talks

This conversation ranges from learning how to position oneself strategically in the competitive job landscape to the art of finessing career materials such as resumes and portfolios.

Sarah shares innovative strategies for treating your job hunt as you would a UX project, emphasizing tailored applications, meaningful networking, and the human touch in technology-driven processes. With real-world examples and actionable advice, Sarah addresses common pitfalls and how to craft your narrative beyond checkbox portfolios.

Whether you're an aspiring designer eager to break into the industry or a seasoned pro looking to pivot your approach to job applications, today's conversation promises to arm you with the tools you need for success.

Tune in as we dissect the fundamentals of creating standout UX portfolios, crafting personalized cover letters, and navigating hiring practices that truly resonate with employers in diverse industries and geography.

01:01 Accidental journey into UX careers, coaching, portfolio.

05:33 Companies hired more despite pandemic; user experience.

09:17 Post-program challenges: job search, self-marketing, competition.

13:15 Focused on career education and personal branding.

17:29 Candidates should consider opportunities beyond fang companies.

21:19 Understanding and empathy for companies in hiring.

24:39 User research portfolio: demonstrate, not just state.

27:56 Portfolio doesn't need every UX process tick.

29:10 Boot camp presentations aren't suitable for portfolios.

32:18 Apply to fewer jobs with more care.

35:21 Customize cover letter, resume, and portfolio strategically.

39:06 Personalize experiences, prioritize people over platforms.

43:03 Effective communication: question, connection, and relevance.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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 of The Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah shares 3 tips to help let go of self doubt and increase confidence for the job search.

0:15: If you've ever felt like you'd lacked confidence in the job search, this is for you.

2:00: The key to building confidence is getting clear on what you can and cannot control.

2:48: Are you a switcher, launcher, or climber?

3:55: Stop playing the numbers game.

4:32: Stop sending your resume all over the internet clicking apply to every job that has the word UX or design in it, and instead take the time to get  crystal clear on who you are and what you want in your future.

5:03:  Just like in the world of dating to meet your match, you might have to work on yourself a little bit too.

5:22: To help reduce that self-doubt and build more confidence is to improve your career materials.

5:43: Improving your career materials does not mean throwing your resume in a template that you got from Etsy or Canva or elsewhere.

6:15 The effort it takes to reflect on your career and pull out all those meaningful stories is also the process that builds confidence.

7:37 To minimize that self-doubt and increase your confidence, get support. Stop doing it alone.

8:08: Being in a community of people who are on a similar path is so valuable because it fosters accountability, momentum, and knowledge sharing.

9:42: Get support and surround yourself with people who provide you with inspiration and insight as you go.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

For many people, maybe even you, job search burnout is real.

A recent study by the Pew Research Center found that half of adult job seekers in the USA are pessimistic about their prospects for a new job. A survey by the Pew Research Center found that about half of US adults looking for a job are pessimistic about their prospects for future employment.

In this episode, Sarah talks about factors that contribute to job search burnout and some practical tips you can put into practice right now to help you manage and minimize this in your life.

2:07: The Pew Research Center survey said that 53% of people said they felt like they almost lost a piece of their identity during their job hunt. And 56% of people said that they've experienced more anxiety and depression and other mental health issues during a job search.

2:48: Burnout has a ripple effect.

3:31: It's really important to get clear about the things that you can control and the things that you know you can't control.

5:20: You have the control to either apply to multiple jobs every single day, which can add up to hundreds over the course of a job search. Or you cannot play the numbers game and take that approach.

5:44: You can control the quality of relationships and interactions that you're having on LinkedIn and social media and elsewhere.

6:36: Who you listen to for advice and wisdom that's within your control.

7:11:  You can't control the quality of job descriptions that are out there.

9:54: There might be some truth to this whole law of attraction thing about how positive thoughts bring positive results to your life and negative thoughts bring negative things to your life.

11:06: Edit who you listen to and who you let influence you.

13:44: Put it on your calendar so you're more intentional about it so that there is a specific time frame around it.

14:20: Have a plan for why you're using social media in your job search.

16:58: Before you jump to conclusions, you have to consider the context.

20:33: A lot of times candidates fixate on this idea of ghosting in the job search.

22:28: Recap our tips for job search burnout.

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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

In this episode, Sarah dives into the hidden costs of navigating your job search alone and why a DIY approach may be holding you back. Many job seekers spend months stuck in a cycle of applying, tweaking resumes, and feeling frustrated—without realizing they’re wasting valuable time, missing opportunities, and facing an unnecessary emotional toll.

Sarah breaks down why job searching requires strategy, positioning, and persistence—not just endless applications. She also shares what successful job seekers do differently, including treating their job search like a UX project, getting strategic with LinkedIn, and investing in the right tools and guidance to accelerate results.

If you’re tired of going in circles and want to land a job faster and smarter, this episode is for you!

What You’ll Learn:

✅ The #1 hidden cost of a DIY job search (hint: it’s not just time wasted)

✅ Why “busy work” like tweaking your resume daily doesn’t move the needle

✅ How to spot FSP activities (False Sense of Progress) and focus on what works

✅ The missed opportunities that cost you job leads and interviews

✅ The mental and emotional toll of job searching alone—and how to fix it

✅ How to structure your job search like a UX project to get hired faster

✅ The biggest mistakes job seekers make on LinkedIn (and what to do instead)

✅ Why successful job seekers seek feedback early and often

Resources & Links Mentioned:

📌 How to Post Strategically on LinkedIn (Podcast

📌 Steven’s Success Story – How He Landed a UX Research Role

📌 Join Career Strategy Lab & Get Expert Guidance

Timestamps:

00:21 Welcome to the Career Strategy Podcast

01:04 The Hidden Costs of Navigating Your Job Search Alone

02:47 The Real Impact of a DIY Job Search

03:18 Time: The Most Expensive Hidden Cost

05:59 Missed Opportunities in Your Job Search

09:58 Mental and Emotional Toll of a DIY Job Search

13:59 What Successful Job Seekers Do Differently

14:12 Treating Your Job Search Like a UX Project

16:08 Understanding the Users of Your Job Search

18:35 Learning from Proven Tools and Guidance

20:41 Creating Structure and Accountability

25:21 Breaking Free from the DIY Approach

27:42 Conclusion: Reflecting on Your Job Search Approach

29:05 Career Strategy Lab: Your Next Step

30:29 Final Thoughts and Farewell

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.

Why aren’t you making the progress you’d like to in your career?

🤔 Maybe, just maybe, you’ve fallen victim to one of the biggest sources of procrastination in the job search?

This week, Sarah discusses how sometimes it’s best to stop looking for more info and advice, and just act! If you want to make TRUE progress in your job search, listen in!

Also, check out flowapp.info to help keep yourself on track!

01:14 At some point you need to stop seeking information and start taking action

02:04 More information often leads to contradicting information

02:42 Be careful of a false sense of progress, or FSP for short!

04:35 Get into the habit of notice when you’re procrastinating taking action

05:36 At the end of your day, take the time to make a plan of action for tomorrow

🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025

👉 Join 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.