138: From Recruiter to Product Designer: How Ellie's taking control of her career

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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.

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Wondering how to stand out in UX without burning out? Former technical recruiter Ellie shares her story of switching into product design—and how Career Strategy Lab helped her get her confidence back.

In this episode, Sarah interviews Ellie, a former technical recruiter turned UX designer, who joined Career Strategy Lab while navigating new motherhood, burnout, and the unpredictable job market. Despite landing interviews, Ellie felt stuck—and knew she needed a structured, supportive way to rebuild confidence and stand out.

You’ll hear how she overcame perfectionism, reframed her job search, and built career habits that now extend beyond her portfolio and into her life.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ Why Ellie left tech recruiting to pursue UX—and doesn’t regret it

✔️ What made her say “yes” to CSL (and why she wishes she joined sooner)

✔️ How the Compass Statement gave her clarity and saved her time

✔️ The unexpected life shifts that came from doing the work with intention

✔️ Tips for breaking perfectionism and building habits that stick

✔️ What it’s like to join CSL while navigating new parenthood and burnout

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Career Strategy Lab

00:38 Episode Overview and Open House Context

02:23 Meet Ellie: From Technical Recruiter to Product Designer

05:19 Ellie's Career Journey and CSL Experience

09:16 The Impact of Career Strategy Lab

18:47 Advice and Final Thoughts

21:32 Conclusion and Next Steps

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