127: The $100K Shift: Why Working 'ON' Your Career (vs 'IN' it) Changes Everything

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

Still stuck in job search mode even though you’re “doing all the right things”? This episode might explain why.

What if the problem isn’t how hard you’re working—but what you’re working on?

In this episode, Sarah unpacks one of the most powerful mindset shifts you can make in your career: moving from working in your career (busywork, perfectionism, burnout) to working on it (strategy, clarity, confidence). Drawing from her own business experience and the journeys of UX professionals she’s coached, Sarah shows you how to stop spinning your wheels and start making high-leverage decisions that move your career forward.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️The difference between working in vs. on your career or job search

✔️ Why busy doesn’t equal progress—and what to do instead

✔️ The costly habits that keep you stuck (like redesigning your resume for the 10th time)

✔️ How to zoom out and make more strategic, long-term career decisions

✔️ What cupcake bakers, physical therapists, and UX designers have in common

✔️ 3 reflection questions to help you shift into CEO mode for your career

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction: Troubleshooting Formulas and Business Insights

01:47 Starting My First Business: The Journey Begins

02:13 The Importance of Working On Your Business

03:22 Examples of Working In vs. On Your Business

09:40 Applying Business Strategies to Your Career

17:43 Actionable Tips for Career Growth

21:06 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

🔍 Mid-Year UX Career Audit – Free Live Workshop

Feeling scattered or stuck in your UX career? Join Sarah Doody for a free, live UX Career Audit Workshop to help you pause, reflect, and plan your next move with intention.

✔️ Why you need to audit your career like a product roadmap

✔️ How to identify what’s working (and what’s not)

✔️ Why you need Career Performance Indicators (CPIs)

🎯 Register here → maven.com/sarahdoody

🗺️ Free UX Career Roadmap

Not sure what stage you're in—or what to focus on next in your UX career?

Download Sarah Doody’s free UX Career Roadmap to get clarity on where you are and what matters most right now, whether you're job searching, pivoting, or planning ahead.

✔️ Identify your current stage in the UX career journey

✔️ Prioritize what to work on (and what to ignore)

✔️ Avoid wasting time on the wrong things

🎯 Download the roadmap → Here

⭐ Support the show! Leave a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts to help more UX professionals find this podcast.

🔔 Follow & Subscribe for weekly strategies and stories to help you grow in your UX career—without the burnout.

🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market

👉 Learn more about Sarah Doody's UX job search accelerator, Career Strategy Lab.

👋 Say hi and follow me, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.