Career Strategy Podcast with Sarah Doody | UX, Product Design, UX Research

In this insightful discussion, Ben Peck, a seasoned Director of Product Design with over 20 years of experience, shares invaluable tips on navigating UX hiring. He reveals why soft skills like storytelling and collaboration are essential for candidates. Ben emphasizes the importance of a compelling portfolio hook and how generalists are thriving in today’s market. He also advises on effective messaging strategies to hiring teams and highlights the significant role of community in career advancement. Perfect for anyone looking to stand out in UX!

In this episode, Sarah chats with Kellyn, a market researcher who successfully pivoted into a Lead UX Researcher role at Weedmaps, with a 40% salary increase, after feeling stuck, overlooked, and unsure how to position herself for UX roles.Despite 13+ years of research experience (and a partner who is a career coach) Kellyn wasn’t getting traction when applying to UX research jobs. She knew she had the skills, but lacked the clarity, confidence, and story to prove it. Through Career Strategy Lab, she rebuilt her confidence, clarified her direction, transformed her LinkedIn, and created a portfolio that focused on thinking and storytelling, not flashy visuals.This episode is a powerful reminder that career pivots don’t require starting over—they require structure, strategy, and the confidence to own your experience.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:✔️ How Kellyn reframed market research experience for UX research roles✔️ Why the Compass Statement was the turning point in her job search✔️ How narrowing focus saved her time, energy, and burnout✔️ Why LinkedIn optimization led to real recruiter interest✔️ How storytelling, not a portfolio website, landed her UX job interviews ✔️ The role of community, coaching, and feedback in rebuilding confidence✔️ Why CSL is an investment with long-term, compounding career impact✔️ How clarity led to better interviews, better offers, and better payTimestamps:00:00 Introduction to Sarah Doody and Career Strategy Lab00:38 Episode Overview and Open House Context02:10 Kellyn's Career Journey and Success Story05:00 The Impact of Career Strategy Lab on Confidence and Job Search13:55 The Importance of LinkedIn Optimization16:11 Crafting Compelling Case Studies and Portfolios23:44 Final Thoughts and Advice for Career Strategy Lab Participants27:08 Conclusion and Additional Resources27:49 Special Message for Job Seekers🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market👉 Learn more about Sarah Doody's UX job search accelerator, Career Strategy Lab. 👋 Say hi and follow me, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

In this expert interview, Sarah Doody is joined by Patrick Neeman, Director of UX & AI Experiences at Workday, to pull back the curtain on how UX hiring actually works today—and where candidates are getting tripped up.Patrick brings a rare perspective: he’s led UX teams, taught UX at General Assembly, worked inside applicant tracking systems, and now hires designers in an AI-driven product environment. Together, Sarah and Patrick unpack the biggest misconceptions about ATS systems, why portfolios often fail the six-second test, how soft skills influence hiring decisions, and what senior designers really need to focus on to stand out in today’s market.This episode is especially valuable if you’re making it to interviews but not offers, feeling unsure how AI fits into your skillset, or questioning whether your resume and portfolio are helping—or hurting—you.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:✔️ Why companies are often bad at hiring—and how that impacts candidates✔️ The truth about ATS filters, knockout questions, and resume formatting✔️ Why two-column resumes fail ATS systems (and what to do instead)✔️ What hiring managers notice in the first 6 seconds of reviewing a resume✔️ How soft skills like alignment, collaboration, and communication influence hiring✔️ Why decks often outperform portfolio websites in UX interviews✔️ How AI tools like Lovable are changing expectations for prototyping✔️ The role of “weak ties” in landing jobs—and why relationships matter more than applications✔️ Red flags candidates should avoid during interviews and outreach✔️ Why being “nice to work with” is a real career advantageLinks From This Episode:Patrick's Book: uxGPT: Mastering AI Assistants for User Experience Designers and Product Management ProfessionalsPatrick's Article: What’s makes an effective UX professionalPatrick's Article: What’s your Ideal Designer Profile?The Strength of Weak Ties: A Network Theory RevisitedThe ADP Checklist: Resources about Resumes, Portfolios and Interviews for UX ProfessionalsTimestamps:00:00 Introduction to Sarah Doody and Career Strategy Lab00:38 Welcoming Patrick Neiman: Insights into UX Hiring01:19 Patrick's Background and Experience04:19 The State of the UX Job Market07:21 The Importance of Writing Skills in UX08:49 Applicant Tracking Systems and AI in Hiring13:28 Contract Roles in UX: Myths and Realities14:42 Standing Out as a UX Candidate17:48 Soft Skills: The Superpower of UX Professionals22:05 Tips for Early Career UX Designers24:15 Prototyping vs. Figma: The Future of Design24:28 The Value of Personal Projects in Portfolios24:57 Challenges in Redesigning Complex Systems26:10 Misconceptions About Hiring Software27:23 The Six-Second Resume Test29:16 Networking and the Power of Weak Ties33:10 Tips for Advancing in Your UX Career41:46 Balancing Figma and AI-Assisted Design Tools43:21 Final Thoughts and Advice for Job Seekers🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market👉 Learn more about Sarah Doody's UX job search accelerator, Career Strategy Lab. 👋 Say hi and follow me, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

In this episode, Sarah talks with Allie, a Senior UX Designer with over a decade of experience, about what it really looks like to lose your confidence mid-career, and how to rebuild it without rushing, panicking, or burning yourself out.After navigating years of instability, repeated layoffs around her, and slowly losing her sense of confidence at work, Allie joined Career Strategy Lab feeling disconnected from her own value. Through foundational work like career inventory, 360° feedback, and the Compass Statement, she rebuilt clarity around her strengths, rediscovered her story, and landed a new role at PepsiCo with confidence restored.This episode is a powerful reminder that confidence isn’t something you “should already have.” It’s something you rebuild through clarity, structure, and self-trust.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:✔️ What it actually feels like to “lose your mojo” after years in UX✔️ Why giving yourself grace is a strategic career move—not a weakness✔️ How taking inventory of your work restores confidence fast✔️ The role of external feedback in uncovering hidden strengths✔️ Why trying to rush ahead in your job search often backfires✔️ How watching others’ critiques can improve your own portfolio and storytelling✔️ Why treating your job search like a real project changes everythingTimestamps:00:00 Introduction to Sarah Doody and Career Strategy Lab00:38 Episode Overview and Open House Context02:29 Meet Allie: A UX Journey03:59 Confidence and Career Strategy Lab08:19 Mindset Shifts and Lessons Learned11:18 Impactful Feedback and Storytelling13:40 Final Thoughts and Advice16:58 Conclusion and Podcast Outro17:38 Special Message for Job Seekers🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market👉 Learn more about Sarah Doody's UX job search accelerator, Career Strategy Lab. 👋 Say hi and follow me, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

Still applying to dozens, or hundreds, of UX roles and not hearing back? It’s not the number of applications that gets you hired. It’s the strategy behind how you position yourself.In this rapid-fire episode, Sarah breaks down the five things she consistently sees among UX candidates who are getting hired right now. Whether you’ve applied to 50, 100, or 200+ jobs without results, these are the shifts that will change your job search immediately.This episode is your wake-up call: Stop applying to more roles and start fixing these five root issues.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:✔️ Why applying to more jobs won’t fix your job search✔️ How to optimize your LinkedIn so recruiters find you✔️ Why most candidates dramatically undervalue their skills✔️ The danger of getting feedback from people who aren't involved in hiring✔️ The truth about UX portfolios—and why yours should not be a website✔️ Why clarity about what you want is the real job search shortcutTimestamps:00:00 Introduction and Purpose00:38 Common Job Search Mistakes02:07 Leveraging LinkedIn for Job Search04:18 Valuing Your Skills and Experience07:22 Overcoming the Unhirable Mindset10:46 Creating Effective Portfolios14:18 Clarity in Career Goals17:57 Recap and Final Thoughts19:28 Career Strategy Lab and Workshops20:56 Podcast Reviews and Closing🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market👉 Learn more about Sarah Doody's UX job search accelerator, Career Strategy Lab. 👋 Say hi and follow me, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

In this interview, Sarah sits down with Steven, a longtime UX leader who spent 17 years at the same digital agency before an unexpected layoff forced him to re-evaluate everything. With no portfolio, no updated resume, and low confidence, Steven joined Career Strategy Lab, and everything changed.Today, Steven is thriving as a fractional product design director, long-term contractor, and consultant helping companies elevate their UX teams and integrate AI into their workflows. In this conversation, he shares how Career Stratgegy Lab's UX job search accelerator helped him rebuild his confidence, tell a clear story about 20+ years of experience, streamline his job search, and even reinvent himself as a business owner.Whether you're mid-career, coming out of a layoff, or curious about consulting, Steven’s story is a grounding reminder that clarity, strategy, and community can completely change your UX career trajectory.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:✔️ How Steven went from 25% confidence to 80% confidence in his job search✔️ The myth he had to unlearn: your portfolio is not the first step✔️ Why clarity + foundational work = faster, less stressful job search✔️ How CSL’s community accelerated his progress and kept him motivated✔️ The mindset shift that helped him stop applying blindly to jobs✔️ How he now uses CSL’s frameworks to land consulting and contract roles✔️ Why your “career operating system” needs ongoing updates✔️ How knowing your values helps you choose the right opportunitiesTimestamps:00:00 Introduction to Sarah Doody and Career Strategy Lab00:38 Episode Overview and Open House Context01:26 Sarah Doody's Background and UX Career Coaching02:31 Steven's Journey and Career Strategy Lab Experience04:13 Building Confidence and Telling Your Story06:25 The Power of Community and Networking09:55 Mindset Shifts and Career Value Criteria13:03 Freelance and Consulting Success Tips16:01 Final Thoughts and Advice18:53 Conclusion and Next Steps🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market👉 Learn more about Sarah Doody's UX job search accelerator, Career Strategy Lab. 👋 Say hi and follow me, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

In this special coach takeover episode Erin, one of the coaches inside Career Strategy Lab's UX job search accelerator, breaks down the three most important things UX and product professionals should focus on in Q4 to set themselves up to get hired in Q1 of 2026.Whether you're feeling stuck, doubting your materials, overwhelmed by your portfolio, or unsure what support you actually need, this episode gives you a strategic and human approach to moving your job search forward.Erin shares what she and the CSL team are seeing every week while reviewing resumes, portfolios, and LinkedIn profiles—and the biggest patterns that determine whether someone gains traction or stays stuck in place.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:✔️ Why you must rethink who you’re getting job search feedback from✔️ How inaccurate feedback erodes confidence—and what to do instead✔️ The “back to basics” portfolio reset that outperforms flashy trends✔️ Why hiring managers want clarity over cleverness (and no, you don’t need animations)✔️ How to build trust through your case study storytelling✔️ How to determine what level of support you actually need—structure, community, coaching, or therapy✔️ Why Q4 is the perfect time to prepare for Q1 hiring surgesTimestamps:00:00 Introduction to Career Strategy Lab00:38 Three Key Strategies for Getting Hired in Q1 202601:11 Assessing Feedback on Your Career Materials05:50 Back to Basics: Improving Your Portfolio09:19 Getting the Support You Need16:04 Recap and Final Thoughts18:49 Conclusion and Additional Resources19:32 Special Message for Job Seekers🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market👉 Learn more about Sarah Doody's UX job search accelerator, Career Strategy Lab. 👋 Say hi and follow me, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

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 | InstagramTransitioning from academia to UX can be daunting, but Ellen’s story proves it’s possible. After 17 years as a professor, Ellen pivoted to a Senior Content Designer role at TD Bank, with Career Strategy Lab providing the strategy, clarity, and confidence she needed to make the leap.In this episode, Ellen shares how CSL helped her reframe her experience, confidently communicate her transferable skills, and land her UX role—all while navigating the challenges of switching careers.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:✔️ How Ellen navigated the shift from academia to UX✔️ Why confidence was her biggest challenge and how CSL helped her overcome it✔️ The importance of understanding how to communicate transferable skills✔️ How she used the Compass Statement to connect her past experience to her new career✔️ The value of having a portfolio and LinkedIn that clearly reflect your skills✔️ Ellen’s tips on standing out during the job search with an authentic, tailored approachTimestamps:00:00 Introduction to Sarah Doody and Career Strategy Lab00:38 Episode Overview and Open House Context01:25 Sarah Doody's UX Career Coaching Journey02:29 Alan's Career Transition Story03:39 Building Confidence and Skills with CSL08:33 Mindset Shifts and Life Lessons10:47 Practical Tips for Job Seekers12:40 Final Thoughts and Encouragement14:04 Podcast Outro and Additional Resources14:44 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 Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market👉 Learn more about Sarah Doody's UX job search accelerator, Career Strategy Lab. 👋 Say hi and follow me, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

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 rejectionRelated Episodes:142: How Laura Landed a Principal UX Design Role Without Applying (and With Only 1 Project in her UX Portfolio)145: [Part 1/3: Diagnose Your UX Job Search] Escaping UX Career Identity Fog & Why Your Identity Is Your Superpower147: [Part 2/3: Diagnose Your UX Job Search] Are you an invisible genius in your UX career?Timestamps:00:00 Introduction and Purpose00:38 Diagnosing UX Job Search Problems01:56 The Product of You Philosophy07:36 Understanding Stranger Syndrome08:49 Symptoms of Stranger Syndrome16:08 Overcoming Stranger Syndrome18:35 Conclusion and Final Thoughts24:10 Career Strategy Lab Invitation🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market👉 Learn more about Sarah Doody's UX job search accelerator, Career Strategy Lab. 👋 Say hi and follow me, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

In this episode, Sarah sits down with Phoenix, a Career Strategy Lab (CSL) member who shares what it's like to be in the middle of their UX job search transformation.Phoenix opens up about the identity crisis that came from trying to be what companies wanted and how shifting toward a product-thinking approach—treating their career like a system—led to clarity, confidence, and traction. This is a must-listen for any UX or product professional feeling stuck, unfocused, or uncertain about how to move forward in today’s job market.You’ll hear Phoenix share the exact moment things started to click, the biggest mindset shifts since joining CSL, and how things like a simple resume rewrite not only clarified their value—but also unlocked a potential $20K salary bump.Whether you’re pivoting into UX, climbing toward leadership, or simply tired of second-guessing yourself, Phoenix’s story will help you see what’s possible when you stop trying to be someone you’re not and start owning what you bring to the table.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:✔️ How Phoenix went from feeling irrelevant to in control of their UX career✔️ Why “conforming” to what employers want actually backfires—and what to do instead✔️ The power of the compass statement and how it transforms resumes, portfolios, and interviews✔️ How systems thinking applies to both UX and job search strategy✔️ The emotional journey of building a personal brand that reflects your true strengths✔️ Why clarity is more powerful than pep talks when it comes to confidenceTimestamps:00:00 Introduction to Career Strategy Lab00:38 Episode Overview and Open House Context01:22 Q&A with Phoenix: UX Job Search Insights03:59 Phoenix's Journey: From Uncertainty to Clarity07:33 The Power of a Strong Resume and Compass Statement20:04 Emotional Impact and Personal Growth24:19 Advice for Job Seekers and Final Thoughts🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market👉 Learn more about Sarah Doody's UX job search accelerator, Career Strategy Lab. 👋 Say hi and follow me, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.