Career Strategy Podcast with Sarah Doody | UX, Product Design, UX Research 149: [Part 3/3: Diagnose Your UX Job Search] Are You Suffering From Stranger Syndrome?
Welcome to the final part of our three-episode series designed to help you diagnose what's not working in your UX job search, so you can finally fix it. In this episode, Sarah breaks down the third and final symptom of a stalled search: Stranger Syndrome.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re being ghosted, not getting referrals, or struggling to build meaningful connections with hiring managers or colleagues, this one’s for you.
Sarah explains how to identify the five signs of Stranger Syndrome and why treating your career like a product can help you design, market, and sell yourself with more confidence and clarity.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ What “Stranger Syndrome” is, and why it’s stalling your UX job search
✔️ 5 specific symptoms to watch for in your networking and interview process
✔️ Why relationship-building is more important than cold outreach
✔️ How to “microwave” cold relationships and reconnect with old contacts
✔️ The power of the Product of You framework (Design. Market. Sell.)
✔️ Why skipping clarity work keeps you stuck in a cycle of job search rejection
Related Episodes:
147: [Part 2/3: Diagnose Your UX Job Search] Are you an invisible genius in your UX career?
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction and Purpose
00:38 Diagnosing UX Job Search Problems
01:56 The Product of You Philosophy
07:36 Understanding Stranger Syndrome
08:49 Symptoms of Stranger Syndrome
16:08 Overcoming Stranger Syndrome
18:35 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
24:10 Career Strategy Lab Invitation
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Join Sarah Doody's Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.
👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.