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

Sarah Doody from Career Strategy Lab
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  • CAREERS
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Welcome to the Career Strategy Podcast, with Sarah Doody, a UX Researcher & Product Designer with 22 years of experience who is helping UX and Product people design their careers. You’ll learn how to advance your UX or Product career including how get hired in UX, stay hired, get promoted, and build a personal brand and visibility. You’ll also hear no BS tips to optimize your UX resume and portfolio, navigate your UX job search, and prepare for UX job interviews so you can stop being invisible and be seen as an in-demand UX professional. Get ready to UX your career, ironic, right?!

  1. 168 - UX Hiring Insights: Steph McDonald UX Design Recruiter at HubSpot on AI in Hiring, Portfolios & What Gets You Hired

    2D AGO

    168 - UX Hiring Insights: Steph McDonald UX Design Recruiter at HubSpot on AI in Hiring, Portfolios & What Gets You Hired

    What does it actually take to get hired in UX Design and stand out to UX recruiters? Steph McDonald, a UX Recruiter from HubSpot is here to share how she approaches UX hiring. With 300+ applications often coming in for a single UX design role, the competition is intense. And behind every application is a recruiter making real decisions about who moves forward and who doesn't. In this episode of the Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah Doody sits down with Steph McDonald, a lead UX design recruiter at HubSpot who has spent over 25 years in recruiting. Steph is refreshingly honest about what's happening on the other side of your application. She breaks down exactly how candidates are evaluated, how AI is being used in hiring right now, and the resume and portfolio mistakes that get you skipped. She also shares what she actually wants to see in a portfolio (spoiler: the messy stuff), why one-page resumes drive her crazy, and why those AI-powered bots that apply to jobs on your behalf are doing more harm than good. Whether you're actively applying to UX roles, this conversation will change how you think about showing up as a candidate. Timestamps: 00:00 Meet Steph McDonald, UX Design Recruiter at HubSpot 01:55 How Steph got into recruiting by accident 03:39 How the job market has shifted post-COVID 05:28 Why companies are hiring fewer people at higher levels 06:35 How long it actually takes to get hired at HubSpot 07:51 How HubSpot tweaks its hiring process like a product 08:41 Trauma-informed recruiting and candidate empathy 10:03 How HubSpot gives candidates real feedback after interviews 13:53 How AI is used inside HubSpot's hiring process 16:23 Auto-reject questions and how they work 18:04 Why AI application bots are hurting candidates 21:49 How recruiters feel when they spot AI-generated answers 24:58 Resume hot takes: font size, page length, and impact 29:22 What Steph looks for in a UX portfolio 33:46 Portfolio format: website vs. presentation vs. Google folder 34:49 Diversity and inclusion in HubSpot's hiring process 38:45 How many people actually get interviewed per role 41:21 Can you reach out to a recruiter after getting rejected? 45:15 Using video in your portfolio: supplement, not replacement 46:02 What "experience with ambiguity" really means 50:03 Is HubSpot hiring right now? 51:29 Lightning round: first job, dream career, interview pump-up song 💸 See how I help UX & Product people get 5-figure salary increases in my UX job search coaching program 👋 Follow me, on LinkedIn, Instagram, & YouTube.

    58 min

  2. MAR 23

    167 - Stop Asking How: Speed Up Your UX Job Search With This One Question

    If your first move when updating your resume, building your UX portfolio, or preparing for an interview is to Google "how do I…" — you're falling into a trap that's slowing down your entire UX job search. In this episode, Sarah Doody breaks down the "Who Not How" framework and explains why the question you should be asking isn't how — it's who. You'll learn why DIYing your job search with Google searches and Reddit threads is costing you time, money, and momentum, and how to start thinking like a high performer instead. Topics discussed in this episode: ✅ The "Who Not How" framework from Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy ✅ Why Googling "how to get a UX job" keeps you spinning your wheels ✅ The hidden time and money cost of DIYing your job search ✅ How high performers think differently about getting help ✅ A 3-step exercise to identify where you're stuck and what to do about it ✅ Why this concept applies to your career, business, and life Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction: Are you stuck in the "how" trap? 01:43 The concept I can't stop thinking about 02:11 The "Who Not How" book explained 03:30 The physical therapist analogy 04:36 How this applies to your UX job search 05:30 The how trap costs you time, money, and momentum 07:04 Why asking for help is not a weakness 08:15 The "how trap" with your resume 09:29 The "how trap" with your portfolio 10:15 The "how trap" with job interviews 11:44 Takeaway 1: Audit where you've been stuck 14:09 Takeaway 2: Match your "how" list to a "who" 16:36 Takeaway 3: The real cost of staying stuck 17:30 How I took 20 minutes off my marathon with a coach 18:54 This applies way beyond your job search 💸 See how I help UX & Product people get 5-figure salary increases in my UX job search coaching program 👋 Follow me, on LinkedIn, Instagram, & YouTube.

    21 min
  3. 166 - UX Hiring Insights Dan Maccarone on Thinking Over Tools & UX Career Reinvention

    MAR 16

    166 - UX Hiring Insights Dan Maccarone on Thinking Over Tools & UX Career Reinvention

    UX hiring insights from a UX veteran with 25+ years in UX and product. In this episode, Sarah Doody interviews Dan Maccarone, co-founder of Hard Candy Shell and Charming Robot, fractional Chief Product Officer, and a UX expert who's worked on products for Hulu, Rent the Runway, Foursquare, and the Wall Street Journal. In the episode Dan shares about what he actually looks for when hiring UX people (spoiler: it's not your Figma skills). Dan shares why he doesn't care about tools, why he conducts interviews over drinks instead of in conference rooms, and how he evaluates candidates based on curiosity, empathy, and how they think, not what software they know. He also gets into career reinvention, the rise of fractional leadership roles, and why your hobbies outside of UX might matter more than your case studies. If you're a UX or Product professional navigating your next career move, this conversation will challenge what you think hiring managers care about. What's discussed in this episode: Why Dan has hired people who didn't know Figma — and doesn't careWhat curiosity and a humanities background signal to a hiring managerWhy Dan prefers to conducts interviews with candidates over coffee or drinks, not in conference roomsHow he uses observation and empathy cues to evaluate candidates (the same way you'd do user research)Why he hates design assignments and considers them insultingWhat "career reinvention" looks like after 25 years in UX and how to know when it's timeThe real requirements for going fractional (and why it's not for everyone)Why your identity and hobbies outside of work actually make you better at your job\How he's re-invented his own UX career multiple times 💸 See how I help UX & Product people get 5-figure salary increases in my UX job search coaching program 👋 Follow me, on LinkedIn, Instagram, & YouTube.

    1h 6m

  4. MAR 9

    165 - 5 practical time-saving tips for your UX job search

    Feel like your UX job search is full time job? Here are 5 things you can start using today to save time, reduce overthinking, and make real progress in your UX or Product job search. These are tips that Sarah sees working for people inside her UX career coaching program, Career Strategy Lab, and some she uses in her own work every day. Topics discussed in this episode of the Career Strategy Podcast: How to create a plug-and-play script document so you never start from scratch on emails againHow text replacement tools like TextExpander can automate repetitive job search messagesWhy using a Pomodoro timer can dramatically increase your job search productivityWhy committing to following up three times eliminates the worry spiral of being ghostedHow to run a weekly "Job Search CEO Hour" to track what's working and course correct fast RESOURCES Text Expander https://textexpander.com/Pomodoro Timer https://pomofocus.io/Flow Timer https://www.flow.app/ 💸 See how I help UX & Product people get 5-figure salary increases in my UX job search coaching program 👋 Follow me, on LinkedIn, Instagram, & YouTube.

    19 min

  5. MAR 2

    164 - What is Career Maximalism and Why Caring Too Much About Your Job Can Backfire

    Career maximalism is a mistake that many high achieving professionals make. When you care too much about your job, you can actually become worse at it. In this video, learn what Career Maximalism is, and why this behavior is everywhere, often rewarded, and quietly working against you. Career maximalism is when your job becomes a major source of your identity and your emotional state rises and falls based on how work is going. It often looks like being a great employee, but there's a tipping point where it clouds your judgment, slows your decisions, and makes everything heavier than it needs to be. Sarah Doody discusses the difference between commitment and emotional over-identification, shares a Reddit thread about treating UX as a job instead of an identity, and gives three practical tips for caring deeply without making work who you are. 3 tips for avoiding the trap of Career Maximalism: 1) Build proof of your self-worth outside your job with physical challenges, creative projects, community, etc. 2) Practice emotional detachment without disengagement. Detachment isn't apathy, it's clarity. 3) Set clear standards and boundaries. When expectations are vague, everything becomes emotional. Resources & Links Mentioned: Reddit thread about treating UX as a job instead of an identity🎙️ Ep 163: What is Career Minimalism and How It Can Quietly Weaken Your Career 💸 See how I help UX & Product people get 5-figure salary increases in my UX job search coaching program 👋 Follow me, on LinkedIn, Instagram, & YouTube.

    23 min

  6. FEB 23

    163 - What is Career Minimalism and How It Can Quietly Weaken Your Career

    The idea of career minimalism sounds healthy. But this trending philosophy of your job being a tool, not your identity (especially popular with Gen Z) could be quietly weakening your career if you're not careful. In this episode, Sarah Doody breaks down what career minimalism actually is, why it's gained so much momentum (spoiler: burnout, broken loyalty, and unpredictable layoffs), and the hidden risk most career minimalists never talk about. The real danger isn't doing less at work — it's what you're building (or not building) while you're there. Sarah also discusses the concept of "Portable Equity" and shares three practical tips so you can protect your work-life balance without accidentally making yourself less employable. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 0:58 What is career minimalism? 3:24 How did we get here? Burnout, hustle culture, and broken loyalty 4:41 Where career minimalism starts to get tricky 6:51 The hidden assumption of career minimalists 7:50 Why career minimalists often end up job hopping 10:16 The reframe: building portable equity 11:24 Three practical tips for career minimalists 11:45 Tip 1: Optimize for portability, not just balance 12:34 Tip 2: Know the difference between being useful and being valuable 13:59 Tip 3: Treat every role as temporary 16:35 Always be seeking — the career version of "always be closing" 17:36 Wrap up 💸 See how I help UX & Product people get 5-figure salary increases in my UX job search coaching program 👋 Follow me, on LinkedIn, Instagram, & YouTube.

    16 min

  7. FEB 16

    162 - How Erica Got Hired as a UX Officer at WK Kellogg Foundation After a CDC Layoff

    Erica Jiminez went from facing a potential layoff at the CDC to landing her dream role as the first-ever User Experience Officer at WK Kellogg Foundation. In this episode, Sarah Doody chats with Erica about her experience in Sarah's UX job search coaching program, Career Strategy Lab. Erica shares how she got clear on what she wanted, made sense of a non-linear career path, and landed a mission-driven UX role. Erica talks about how the Career Roadmap and Compass Statement in Career Strategy Lab helped her shift from a fear mindset to clarity, why her "messy" career path across social work, public health, and UX research actually became her biggest strength, and how she got hired using a whiteboard and Mural board instead of a polished portfolio. She also shares why she negotiated her salary and got what she asked for, and what hiring managers actually look for when multiple candidates are equally qualified. Erica's 3 lessons from her UX job search: 1) Follow what you're passionate about 2) Go for it even if you're not ready 3) Know your worth and advocate for yourself — the worst they can say is no Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 1:00 Meet Erica, the first UX Officer at WK Kellogg Foundation 3:00 The career roadmap: realizing how unintentional her career had been 4:30 From social worker to UX researcher — a 12-year non-linear path 5:00 Seeing the story in a "messy" resume 7:00 The Product of You: Design yourself before marketing yourself 8:00 Getting clarity vs. jumping straight to tactics 10:00 The Gumby mindset & reframing your experiences 12:00 Lesson 1: Follow what you're passionate about 13:00 Lesson 2: Go for it even if you're not ready 15:00 Lesson 3: Know your worth & salary negotiation 17:00 The heroes exercise & discovering what matters beyond UX 19:30 Applying UX skills beyond big tech 20:00 Advice for anyone on the fence about Career Strategy Lab 22:00 Why the human element matters most in hiring 💸 See how I help UX & Product people get 5-figure salary increases in my UX job search coaching program 👋 Follow me, on LinkedIn, Instagram, & YouTube.

    25 min
  8. 161 - UX Hiring Insights with Design Recruiter Jared Tredly from Shopify

    FEB 9

    161 - UX Hiring Insights with Design Recruiter Jared Tredly from Shopify

    In this episode, Sarah Doody talks with Jared Tredly, a design recruiter at Shopify, about what really happens behind the scenes when UX and Product Design candidates apply for roles. Jared shares an honest look at how generalist recruiters interpret design briefs, what they scan for in the first few seconds of reviewing a portfolio, and why so many designers accidentally bury the most important information. He also breaks down what senior-level designers must show, why overly long case studies backfire, and how to get visibility for design roles at Shopify through their general “design pool” application. If you’ve ever wondered what recruiters are actually thinking as they review your portfolio, this episode takes you inside the process. What you’ll learn: How recruiters evaluate portfolios when reviewing hundreds per dayWhy clarity, hierarchy, and intuitive navigation matter more than visualsThe difference between junior and senior-level UX signalsWhy “micro” case studies are often more effective than showing your entire processHow Shopify screens applications and why complete applications are criticalHow to get into Shopify’s internal design candidate poolLinks from this episode: Learn about working at ShopifyConnect with Jared on LinkedIn 💸 See how I help UX & Product people get 5-figure salary increases in my UX job search coaching program 👋 Follow me, on LinkedIn, Instagram, & YouTube.

    51 min
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Welcome to the Career Strategy Podcast, with Sarah Doody, a UX Researcher & Product Designer with 22 years of experience who is helping UX and Product people design their careers. You’ll learn how to advance your UX or Product career including how get hired in UX, stay hired, get promoted, and build a personal brand and visibility. You’ll also hear no BS tips to optimize your UX resume and portfolio, navigate your UX job search, and prepare for UX job interviews so you can stop being invisible and be seen as an in-demand UX professional. Get ready to UX your career, ironic, right?!

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