136: How Manny got hired as a Senior UX Designer at Fidelity in 77 days

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

Laid off and wondering if you’ve “missed your shot”? This story will change how you think about career momentum.

In this Open House conversation, Sarah sits down with Manny, a senior UX designer who transitioned into UX after a decade in graphic design and just landed a role at Fidelity. After getting laid off and spending weeks spinning his wheels, Manny joined Career Strategy Lab to bring clarity, structure, and confidence back to his job search.

In this honest and insightful conversation, Manny shares what helped him rebuild momentum, how the Compass Sprint shaped everything from his resume to interviews, and why he wishes he’d joined sooner.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ How Manny landed a UX role at Fidelity after being laid off

✔️ The single most valuable CSL exercise (that he didn’t expect)

✔️ Why clarity leads to faster progress across your materials

✔️ How the Compass Statement helped him shape his story and stand out

✔️ Why applying early in your job search saves you time, money, and confidence

✔️ How to make the most of CSL—whether you’re employed or not

Timestamps:

02:28 Meet Manny: A UX Designer's Journey

03:51 Navigating Job Search Challenges

06:16 The Impact of Career Strategy Lab

12:27 Advice for UX Job Seekers

14:54 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

15:07 Podcast Outro and Additional Resources

15:47 Special Message for Job Seekers

⭐ 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 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.