107: Your UX Career Is a Product (Sarah Doody's interview on the Awkward Silences podcast by User Interviews)

This episode of the Career Strategy Podcast features Sarah's interview on the Awkward Silences Podcast by User Interviews. In this episode, Sarah Doody is interviewed by Erin May, the CMO of User Interviews, and John-Henry Forster, who at the time of recording was the SVP of Product at User Interviews. Join them as they dive deep into treating your UX research career like a product and the pivotal strategies to become a UX research manager.

🧠 6 Key takeaways

1) Treating Your Career as a Product

Your career should be managed like a product, focusing on continuous improvement, setting goals, and building a road map. Consider the skills, experiences, and networks you want to develop for your future roles.

2) Creating a Career Road Map

Just like products have roadmaps, your career should have one too. Create a timeline of your career, noting your happiness, satisfaction, work-life balance, and other personal values.

3) Do some UX Research on Yourself

Conduct a self-assessment to map out where you’ve been in your career. Seek feedback from past colleagues to identify your strengths and areas of improvement.

4) Minimum Viable Resume and Portfolio

Focus on creating a "minimum viable" resume and portfolio to quickly test their effectiveness. This involves starting with a good enough version to see if it generates interviews, and then iterating based on feedback.

5) Relevance in Applications

Ensure your resume and portfolio are tailored to highlight experiences and skills relevant to the job you’re applying for. Avoid creating generic applications that don’t adequately showcase your suitability for the role.

6) Job Market Insights

Despite recent layoffs in tech companies, the long-term demand for UX roles is expected to grow as businesses continue to prioritize digital transformation.

⏰ Timestamps

• Discussing treating your career like a product: 00:00:59
• Identifying the importance of creating a career road map: 00:04:35
• How to do user research on yourself: 00:07:23
• Creating a minimum viable resume and portfolio: 00:16:21
• Insights on the current job market: 00:10:45
• Treating your application strategy as a marketing effort: 00:04:23
• The importance of having questions for your potential employer: 00:38:35
• Statements on learning vs. earning: 00:44:00
• Parting advice for listeners: 00:48:43

🎬 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.