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

Imagine treating your job like a freelance gig—always ready for what’s next. This episode dives deep into why adopting a freelancer mindset can boost your career, even if you love your full-time job.

Join Sarah to explore real strategies that freelancers use to stay in demand: documenting wins and projects, nurturing relationships, keeping up with industry trends, and treating each project like a portfolio piece. You’ll hear practical tips on timeboxing tasks to fit career-building activities into your busy schedule. 

Whether you're eyeing a promotion, preparing for possible layoffs, or just curious about staying market-ready, this episode is packed with actionable advice you won't want to miss. Ready to rethink your career game plan? Tune in to learn how to stay ahead in today’s ever-changing job market.

Links

Sarah mentions another Career Strategy Podcast Episode about including numbers in your resume - check that out here!

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction: Understanding Job Market Demands

00:18 Meet Your Host: Sarah Duty

00:56 The Freelancer Mindset for Career Success

02:56 Avoiding Complacency in Full-Time Roles

04:50 Adopting Effective Freelance Habits

08:56 Documenting Wins and Building Relationships

12:55 Staying Updated with Market Trends

15:51 Always Be Open to New Opportunities

19:43 Conclusion: Implementing the Freelancer Mindset

20:59 Stay Connected and Share Your Thoughts

🎯 How I can help with your UX job search

📋 Get my UX case study template

👋 Follow me, on LinkedIn, Instagram, & YouTube

Why do your cold messages to recruiters go unanswered? In today's episode of The Career Strategy Podcast, we dive into the reasons why your emails and DMs might be getting ignored by recruiters and hiring managers. 

This episode discusses the importance of shifting from being a cold contact to a lukewarm one, making you more recognizable and increasing the chances of getting replies. You’ll learn five simple LinkedIn strategies to help you warm up your connections. 

Find out how to leave thoughtful comments, avoid robotic replies, and move valuable conversations to direct messages. Plus, hear a real-life success story about how these strategies worked for a senior UX researcher. If you’re ready to transform your networking approach and boost your job search outcomes, hit play and take the first step today.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction

01:00 Why Cold Messages Get Ignored

01:41 The Solution: Leveraging LinkedIn

02:35 Five Strategies to Warm Up Your Connections

05:16 Strategy 1: Follow Key People

05:56 Strategy 2: React to Their Content

06:23 Strategy 3: Leave Thoughtful Comments

07:10 Strategy 4: Be Authentic, Not Robotic

08:15 Strategy 5: Move Conversations to DMs

10:05 Real-Life Success Story: Danielle

11:38 Final Tips and Action Items

13:06 Conclusion

🎯 How I can help with your UX job search

📋 Get my UX case study template

👋 Follow me, on LinkedIn, Instagram, & YouTube

In this episode, Sarah explains how the critiques in Career Strategy Lab work, including how many critiques you can submit, what you can submit, how you'll receive feedback, and more. Enrollment is OPEN until Wed, Nov 20. Visit www.careerstrategylab.com/sprint to learn more or join.

Career Strategy Lab helps mid and senior UX and Product people be ready to apply in 3 months or less and get hired with a 5-figure salary increases without applying to hundreds of jobs.

If you have any questions, feel free to email us at [email protected]

🎯 How I can help with your UX job search

📋 Get my UX case study template

👋 Follow me, on LinkedIn, Instagram, & YouTube

In this episode, Sarah explains the 2 types of weekly calls in Career Strategy Lab and shares examples of questions we've answered. Enrollment is OPEN until Wed, Nov 20. Visit www.careerstrategylab.com/sprint to learn more or join.

Career Strategy Lab helps mid and senior UX and Product people be ready to apply in 3 months or less and get hired with a 5-figure salary increases without applying to hundreds of jobs.

If you have any questions, feel free to email us at [email protected]

🎯 How I can help with your UX job search

📋 Get my UX case study template

👋 Follow me, on LinkedIn, Instagram, & YouTube

Ever wondered how to finally break through in your career when things seem tough? In this episode, Jamie, a senior product designer from Ottawa, shares his journey of navigating job loss and finding success. Jamie recounts his struggles with imposter syndrome and unemployment, sharing how he applied for hundreds of jobs without landing one.

Jamie found his turning point by joining Career Strategy Lab, where the community and structured guidance helped him rebuild confidence. He talks about the importance of reflecting on past experiences, both good and bad, and how this self-assessment improved his job interviews.

The conversation touches on the importance of analyzing past experiences, building confidence, and leveraging community support. This episode includes insights and actionable advice for anyone looking to take charge of their career strategy.

Tune in to hear Jamie's honest account and actionable tips for career growth.

Timestamps

01:00 Special Episode Announcement

01:50 Meet Jamie: A Career Journey

03:50 The Power of Community in Career Strategy Lab

05:41 Mindset Shifts and Career Roadmaps

11:25 The Impact of Detailed Case Studies

13:33 Global Relevance of Career Strategy Lab

14:33 Final Advice and Encouragement

16:45 Closing Remarks

🎯 How I can help with your UX job search

📋 Get my UX case study template

👋 Follow me, on LinkedIn, Instagram, & YouTube

In this episode, Sarah shares the story of a Lead Design Researcher who got hired with a 35% salary increase. This person, an alumni of Career Strategy Lab, said a that major factor in securing the role was relationships. In the episode, you'll learn the role of relationships in this person's job search and interviews.

Career Strategy Lab helps mid and senior UX and Product people be ready to apply in 3 months or less and get hired with a 5-figure salary increases without applying to hundreds of jobs.

Enrollment is OPEN for Career Strategy Lab until Wed, Nov 20. Visit www.careerstrategylab.com/sprint to learn more or join.

If you have any questions feel free to email us at [email protected]

🎯 How I can help with your UX job search

📋 Get my UX case study template

👋 Follow me, on LinkedIn, Instagram, & YouTube

In this episode, Sarah shares the story of Dan, a Lead UX Designer who got hired in 56 days. In Dec 2023, he was laid off and joined Career Strategy Lab. A few weeks later, he saw a role and applied despite his UX portfolio not being finished and being "far from perfect." To his surprise, he moved along in the interview process and was offered a job in February 2024 as a Lead UX Designer at a large healthcare company.

THIS is what can happen when you stop trying to make a "perfect" portfolio and instead focus on "good enough" ... because if you don't stop perfecting, you won't start applying. And it is possible to get hired with a "good enough" portfolio.

Career Strategy Lab helps mid and senior UX and Product people be ready to apply in 3 months or less and get hired with a 5-figure salary increases without applying to hundreds of jobs.

Enrollment is OPEN for Career Strategy Lab until Wed, Nov 20. Visit www.careerstrategylab.com/sprint to learn more or join.

If you have any questions feel free to email us at [email protected]

🎯 How I can help with your UX job search

📋 Get my UX case study template

👋 Follow me, on LinkedIn, Instagram, & YouTube

In this episode, Sarah details the extra traits of who Career Strategy Lab was designed for. Enrollment is OPEN until Wed, Nov 20. Visit www.careerstrategylab.com/sprint to learn more or join.

Career Strategy Lab helps mid and senior UX and Product people be ready to apply in 3 months or less and get hired with a 5-figure salary increases without applying to hundreds of jobs.

If you have any questions feel free to email us at [email protected]

🎯 How I can help with your UX job search

📋 Get my UX case study template

👋 Follow me, on LinkedIn, Instagram, & YouTube

Tired of endless applications to big tech companies without any luck? This episode of The Career Strategy Podcast dives into industries outside of tech that are actively hiring for UX, product design, and tech roles. From health care to finance, education to retail, discover real data showing where job seekers are finding success. 

Sarah talks through why these industries are ramping up their hiring and how your existing skills can transfer seamlessly. Plus, you’ll get tips on how to refine your resume, portfolio, and LinkedIn to stand out. 

Listen in to get to know powerful strategies for tailoring your job search and hear exact companies that have hired within these fields. If you're a career switcher, this episode even covers how to leverage your past experience to gain an edge. Stop spinning your wheels and uncover new opportunities in growing fields.

Timestamps

00:00 Translate experiences; leverage resume, portfolio, LinkedIn.

04:49 Consider branching out from tech industry careers.

07:23 Diverse growth in health tech and fintech.

11:12 Ecommerce growth fuels demand for UX talent.

14:05 Fora Travel offers convenient travel planning services.

19:02 Explore niche job boards like BuiltIn, LinkedIn.

21:01 Follow, engage, and share the podcast.

🎯 How I can help with your UX job search

📋 Get my UX case study template

👋 Follow me, on LinkedIn, Instagram, & YouTube

Ever wondered why a coach without UX experience might be the secret to your job search success? This episode dives into just that, answering a common question: why are the Career Strategy Lab (CSL) coaches not UX experts? 

Discover how the CSL program helps people in user experience, product design, and tech fields navigate their job searches. The episode explains the importance of thinking of yourself as "the product of you” and why great job search coaching involves more than just industry-specific advice.

The episode uses a wedding planner analogy to explain why hiring someone with broad coaching experience is often more valuable than someone with deep but narrow expertise. Listeners will learn that the CSL team is carefully chosen to cover three crucial elements: design, marketing, and sales. Each coach brings a unique set of skills, from sales and storytelling to higher education and hiring experience. The team approach helps candidates market themselves effectively and build strong, authentic relationships. If you're stuck in your job search, this episode provides a fresh perspective on the diverse skills needed to succeed.

Timestamps 

00:00 Career Strategy Lab guides tech job searches.

03:52 Think of yourself as a marketable product.

07:31 Experienced planners can better fulfill your needs.

12:35 Steph helps personalize marketing for job seekers.

15:52 Holistic coaching goes beyond traditional UX feedback.

19:36 Contact us for job search guidance and support.

🎯 How I can help with your UX job search

📋 Get my UX case study template

👋 Follow me, on LinkedIn, Instagram, & YouTube