Listen before Sep 12 at 8pm PT ... in this live workshop, Sarah Doody shares the 5 UX steps you should also apply to your UX portfolio. This is based off what Sarah has been working for people who got hired, as recently as Sep 1. If you want to be ready for the September Surge, do not snooze on listening to this!

Time Sensitive: Enrollment is OPEN for my UX job search accelerator and will close on Fri, Sep 12 at 8pm PT.

You can learn more, watch success stories, or enroll here.

And you can watch to the recording of my UX portfolio workshop, until this Friday.

If you have questions about the UX job search accelerator program (aka Career Strategy Lab) you can book a 1:1 call here or use the chat widget on the websites linked above to send us a message.

🎬 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.

Apple's iconic marketing helps it stand out because it emphasizes it's benefits, not just features. Instead of just listing every feature of it's products, Apple leans into the benefits. And this tactic, is also how you can stand out as a candidate in your job search.

In this episode, we'll use resume examples to show how you can highlight your benefits, and not just your responsibilities and features. .

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ Why listing responsibilities makes your resume blend in (not stand out)

✔️ How to turn “feature” statements into compelling benefit-driven bullets

✔️ The marketing lesson Sarah borrowed from Steve Jobs

✔️ Real before-and-after examples from UX candidates

✔️ Why identifying and believing your own value is step #1

✔️ How to infuse your unique benefits across every career “touchpoint”

Timestamps:

00:40 The Importance of Focusing Beyond Responsibilities

02:35 Understanding the Product of You

04:32 Communicating Benefits Over Features

05:43 Real-World Examples of Benefit-Focused Statements

09:10 Becoming a Benefit-Focused Candidate

18:52 Recap and Final Thoughts

21:16 Conclusion and Additional Resources

22:04 Special Message for Job Seekers

🎬 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.

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

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

⭐ 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.

Still waiting for recruiters to notice you? One small change to your LinkedIn profile could change everything.

In this episode, Sarah shares a real story from a workshop attendee who updated just one line of their LinkedIn profile and got five solid recruiter leads within 24 hours. You’ll learn what part of your profile to focus on (hint: it’s the headline), how to write it in a way that stands out, and why clarity and positioning matter more than lofty statements like “designing for impact.”

Plus, Sarah breaks down the three-part UX job search strategy you need to attract the right opportunities, without burning out, second-guessing, or rewriting your portfolio 100 times.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ The one LinkedIn section that has the biggest impact on recruiter outreach

✔️ Why most UX job seekers get their headlines totally wrong

✔️ How to apply product strategy thinking to your career

✔️ The 3 essential UX job search strategies: Design, Marketing, and Sales

✔️ What happens when you’re missing even one of those strategies

✔️ How to stand out in a sea of qualified candidates (without starting from scratch)

Additional Resources:

Episode 18: Avoid This Mistake When Writing Your LinkedIn Profile headline

UX Job Search Workshop

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Purpose

00:38 The Power of LinkedIn Optimization

01:27 Understanding the UX Hiring Process

02:45 Crafting a Standout LinkedIn Headline

05:33 Three Key Strategies for UX Job Search

07:27 Invitation to the Workshop

08:10 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

09:29 Conclusion and Additional Resources

10:09 Special Message for Struggling Job Seekers

🎬 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.

Listen before Aug 22 at 8pm PT ... in this live workshop, Sarah Doody shares the 3 strategies every UX or Product person who gets hired leverages in their UX job search. This is based off what Sarah has been working for people who got hired, as recently as August 5. If you want to be ready for the September Surge, do not snooze on listening to this!

Time Sensitive: Enrollment is OPEN for my UX job search accelerator and will close on Fri, Aug 22 at 8pm PT.

You can learn more, watch success stories, or enroll here.

And you can watch to the recording of my UX job search workshop, until this Friday.

If you have questions about the UX job search accelerator program (aka Career Strategy Lab) you can book a 1:1 call here or use the chat widget on the websites linked above to send us a message.

🎬 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.

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.

In this Q&A, you'll hear from a recently hired Principal Product Designer, a UX Strategist with 20 years of experience who's actively interviewing, and a UX Researcher & Designer who recently graduated with a masters in UX from the University of Michigan.

Time Sensitive → Enrollment is OPEN for my UX job search accelerator and will close on Fri, Aug 15 at 8pm PT.

Join by Friday and get 1 extra month for FREE & my new UX Freelancing course.

You can learn more, watch success stories, or enroll here.

And you can watch to the recording of my UX job search workshop, until this Friday.

If you have questions about the UX job search accelerator program (aka Career Strategy Lab) you can book a 1:1 call here or use the chat widget on the websites linked above to send us a message.

🎬 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.

Feeling overwhelmed by how much UX experience you have, or unsure how to translate it in today’s UX job market? This episode is for you.

In this episode, Sarah talks with Chris Griffith, a UX professional with over 30 years of experience, about what it really takes to re-enter the job market after a long stretch at one company. Chris shares how he used Career Strategy Lab to reframe his story, create momentum, and build a complete suite of job search materials—from resume to portfolio—without burning out.

From tending his “career garden” to turning hikes into problem-solving sessions, Chris offers powerful reminders that progress isn’t about perfection—it’s about intention, space, and support.

✔️ How Chris navigated a layoff after 9 years at the same company

✔️ What helped him stay focused and finish his portfolio without burnout

✔️ Why the LinkedIn sprint was a game-changer for getting found

✔️ The mental shift that helped him stop over-explaining and start storytelling

✔️ How nature and structure kept his confidence high and mindset grounded

✔️ His top tip for anyone thinking about joining Career Strategy Lab

00:00 Introduction and Host Welcome

00:16 Meet Sarah Doty: Your Career Guide

00:54 Episode Overview and Open House Context

01:38 Chris's UX Journey: From CD-ROMs to Career Strategy Lab

04:05 Navigating Job Search Challenges

06:49 The Importance of Diligence and Balance

07:21 The Healing Power of Nature

08:39 Career Strategy Lab Sprints: A Deep Dive

11:54 Final Tips and Encouragement

13:03 Conclusion and Farewell

13:19 Podcast Outro and Additional Resources

13:59 Special Message for Job Seekers

🎯Want to learn more about the critiques, community, coaching calls, and everything inside Career Strategy Lab? Apply or learn more.

⭐ Support the show! Leave a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts to help more UX professionals find this podcast.

🎬 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.

Worried your career break in UX has made you unemployable? Let’s talk about what’s actually holding you back.

In this episode, Sarah tackles a concern she hears constantly: “Did my career break ruin my chances of getting hired in UX?” Whether you took time off for caregiving, burnout, travel, or health, this episode will help you stop spiraling and start focusing on what really matters, your story.

You’ll learn the 3 strategies every UX job seeker needs (Design, Marketing, Sales), how to tell if you’re missing one, and why the story you're telling about your break matters more than the break itself.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ Why your break isn’t the problem—but your story might be

✔️ What “terminal uniqueness” is and how it keeps you stuck

✔️ The 3-part strategy you need to get hired (and how to know what’s missing)

✔️ How to shift from self-doubt to clarity in your job search

✔️ Why visibility and connection matter more than perfection

✔️ How to rebuild your momentum with intention—not burnout

00:38 The Impact of Career Breaks on UX Careers

00:56 The Importance of Your Personal Story in Job Searches

01:22 Addressing Career Break Concerns

03:37 LinkedIn's Career Break Feature

05:28 Three Essential Strategies for UX Candidates

09:53 Identifying Gaps in Your Job Search Strategies

12:23 Building and Leveraging Professional Relationships

16:51 Final Thoughts and Workshop Invitation

18:35 Conclusion and Additional Resources

⭐ Support the show! Leave a rating on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts to help more UX professionals find this podcast.

🎬 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.

Think your UX background is too different to get hired? That mindset might be the real problem. In this episode, Sarah discusses the concept of terminal uniqueness, the belief that your career path is so unusual or messy that none of the strategies that work for others could possibly work for you. Whether you’ve been freelancing, pivoting careers, or have decades of experience, this mindset could be holding you back far more than your resume.

You’ll hear real-world examples of how terminal uniqueness shows up, why it's so common (especially in UX), and what to focus on instead so you can finally move forward with clarity and confidence.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ What terminal uniqueness is—and how it sabotages your job search

✔️ Why your unconventional path is not the problem (your mindset might be)

✔️ How to reframe your “messy” UX story into your biggest asset

✔️ Why recruiters and hiring managers aren’t looking for a perfect path

✔️ The role of strategy, structure, and storytelling in getting hired

✔️ How Career Strategy Lab helps you own your story and communicate it clearly

00:00 Introduction and Background

00:38 Understanding Terminal Uniqueness

03:12 Examples of Terminal Uniqueness

04:50 Overcoming Terminal Uniqueness

06:54 Communicating Your Unique Story

08:11 Career Strategy Lab Overview

14:49 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

16:58 Podcast Outro and Additional Resources

17:37 Special Message for Job Seekers

🎬 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.