103: How Kristin Landed Her Dream Role with Two Portfolio Projects and a Clear Roadmap

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.