This episode originally aired on the Honest UX Talks Podcast. 🗂 instagram.com/honest_ux_talks This conversation ranges from learning how to position oneself strategically in the competitive job landscape to the art of finessing career materials such as resumes and portfolios. Sarah shares innovative strategies for treating your job hunt as you would a UX project, emphasizing tailored applications, meaningful networking, and the human touch in technology-driven processes. With real-world...

This show was originally aired on the NN/g UX Podcast  hosted and produced by Therese Festenden. In this episode we dived into the heart of what makes a truly rewarding career – it's not the flashy title or the next paycheck, but the fulfillment you get from the impact you create and the skills you bring to the table. Therese and I talked about curating a portfolio that reflects real-world problem-solving, not just textbook processes, and the value of strategic thinking for career...

This week’s episode is an interview with product designer and Career Strategy Lab alumni, Melody. The job search can be a whirlwind of ups and downs. Melody shares how she kept a level head and used what she learned in our career coaching program to land a job with a company she had already applied to and been rejected from! Listen to hear the real experiences, obstacles, and victories of a CSL Alumni! 00:38 A quick intro with Erin 02:21 Let’s meet Melody! 04:28 Interaction design is the...

In this "Open House" episode, we're joined by Career Strategy Lab alumni, Laura, Malavika , and Carlos, who each have their unique stories of transformation and success to share with you. Laura, a product designer at Cisco in Miami, shares her journey through the lab and the remarkable turnaround from nearly 60 job applications to landing interviews and a coveted job offer. Carlos talks about his career aspirations, the battle with rejection, and the momentous shift he accomplished with the...

This week’s episode is hosted by CSL Coach Erin Lindstrom with special guest, Malavika Oak, a CSL Alumni! Tune in to hear what led Malavika to UX and her career journey from working at startups, getting laid off, and with the help of Career Strategy Lab, landing a new role that she describes as a “dream job.” 00:38 Intro with Erin 01:55 Meet Malavika 04:51 Looking for mentorship in the UX world 07:26 Being the only designer at a startup 11:25 Her new role 14:29 Slowly getting better...

Are you using LinkedIn correctly? It’s a social media platform, so be social!  This week Sarah talks about how making connections using LinkedIn can not only improve your visibility on recruiter searches AND help you find job openings faster. 01:09 The one thing many professionals forget to do when looking for work 02:08 LinkedIn Recruiter and the algorithm 03:35 You should be posting on your LinkedIn profile 05:25 It’s all about increasing visibility 07:12 Putting your skills and...

Everyone says that recruiters spend barely any time on resumes, but is that true? This week Sarah shares her tips to keep recruiters engaged so they never spend less than a minute on your resume. After this, be sure to listen to Episode 29 to learn more about the one page resume and how it could be selling you short! 00:19 Spoiler Alert: It’s a myth! 01:07 Put yourself into the shoes of a recruiter 02:52 Consider the design of your resume 05:45 Instead of a list of responsibilities, go...

If you’re considering a career in UX but not sure how you can leverage your previous experience to help you stand out as a candidate we want you to know it’s absolutely possible. In this episode, Sarah talks through how to build a bridge from your current situation to a UX career. 0:55 You may be tempted to apply to lots of jobs 1:24 You might be competing for jobs with people with more UX experience than you 1:49 Here’s how to start thinking strategically about this 2:35 When you do...

The internet is FULL of information, but not all of it is as helpful as you may think. This week Sarah speaks to some of the flaws of trusting everything you read and hear online and how to discern if advice is worth listening to. 01:17 What do you do when you have a question? 02:52 Start asking questions about your source! 03:53 Is the advice you’re getting even relevant to today’s job market? 04:57 We tend to worry so much about messing up, that we doubt ourselves. 🎁 Get a copy of our...

This week’s episode is a Q&A session with Sarah! Tune in to hear how to start your job search when you’re brand new to UX, looking for opportunities to grow from within your company, and the importance of your portfolio! 01:16 If you’re early in your career, of course you want to apply to everything! 03:01 How do you approach finding your first job? 06:46 Make the most of performance reviews 08:54 Spell. Check. Your. Resume. 10:20 Curate your resume to each job you apply to 12:10...

Why aren’t you making the progress you’d like to in your career? 🤔 Maybe, just maybe, you’ve fallen victim to one of the biggest sources of procrastination in the job search? This week, Sarah discusses how sometimes it’s best to stop looking for more info and advice, and just act! If you want to make TRUE progress in your job search, listen in! Also, check out flowapp.info to help keep yourself on track! 01:14 At some point you need to stop seeking information and start taking...

Let’s be real, taking the next step in your career can be exhausting. The process of getting clear on what you want, finding aligned roles, tweaking your career materials, making connections and so on is filled with highs and lows. It’s not uncommon for each rejection or a lack of response to send you into a spin BUT, there are things you can do to manage your emotions, stay regulated, and continue down the path while taking space for the big feelings coming up. In this episode, Sarah...

Yes or no?! 🤔 Everyone wants to know whether or not it’s recommended to put projects that didn’t launch in their portfolio and if it’s worth talking about during interviews. Here’s the quick version; when creating your portfolio and resume, use every amazing example of your skills you can. Why would you avoid using a project that didn’t go public? If you did the work, then show it off! Launching isn’t the only part of the story. Tune in to episode 36  to learn more about how to talk about...

During this Q+A, Sarah discusses what your portfolio should look like when you leave a UX bootcamp, how many case studies should you present in an interview, the myth of the one page resume, and so much more! 01:14 The portfolio you created in a bootcamp won’t work with recruiters 05:29 You can’t predict how long you’ll have in an interview, so why not ask? 06:55 Keep your resume chronological 08:40 Employers want experience, they want receipts! 11:32 Work done for confidential...

You’ve done all the hard work of searching for a position, crafting your materials, interviewing, and you received a job offer! But then, the unthinkable happens ... the job offer is rescinded or withdrawn 😱 This is a sucky situation to be in and this week Sarah dedicates an entire episode to help you move through it. 01:12 You aren’t the only one this has happened to. 01:53 Ask the company if they have any other open positions you may be a fit for 03:02 Remember, you made it this...

The screening call with HR is often your first opportunity to connect and leave a lasting impact.   Tune into this episode to learn what to expect, how to make a great first impression, and the things to NEVER say during an HR screening interview! 00:55 HR Interviews are where your soft skills can shine 02:39 People will remember stories far more than they're going to remember that you were a fast learner or team player 03:31 Recruiters want to see how you got where you...

This week’s episode is a Q&A session with Sarah! Tune in to hear the number one thing to do in a saturated job market, how to share case studies that are flagged as confidential, whether or not AI is a threat to UX careers and more! 01:16 Do everything you can to be visible to the companies you're applying to or where you wanna work 06:57 Don’t focus on the quantity of connections, but QUALITY! 11:11 Most people are only scratching the surface of their skills and...

Stop awkwardly approaching people to get career advice and use the strategies from this episode to connect instead! In this episode of the Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah introduces listeners to the informational interview and teaches exactly how to ask for one. 00:58 What is an informational interview? 01:59 Before asking someone, make sure they don’t cover your questions in their public work 03:23 How NOT to start your email 05:36 Tip #1: Breaking the ice 06:28 Tip #2: Be...

In this interview, Career Strategy Lab Coach, Erin Lindstrom, sits down with Katie Miller, an incredible Senior Researcher who was laid off who generously shares her path to finding her next role. Katie’s story is an amazing one that exemplifies everything that we teach. She shares how she got into UX, how she dealt with the mindset challenges of the job search, and how CSL has helped her land her new role. 03:51 How Katie first got into UX 10:37 The “pedigree” of working at a FAANG...

In this episode Sarah discusses the common misconception that your resume should only be one page long. If you have a long and accomplished career history, why would you limit your ability to sell your experience? There are many reasons to expand your resume, take a listen and see if you could improve how you sell yourself. 01:17  A one page resume isn’t enough most of the time 03:49 Recruiters and hiring managers want to see receipts of our abilities 06:01 When your resume...

In this episode Sarah discusses how to treat yourself and what you can offer to an employer like it’s a product. Do you know your core features? How are you marketing yourself? Are relationships important to “selling” myself? All these questions and more are answered! 01:16  I really believe that your career has a lot in common with a product and that the reason so many products fail is the same reason 05:23   Products can fail for three reasons:the design, the marketing, and the sales...

The episode of the Career Strategy podcast features clips from a live Q+A with Sarah. On it, she answers questions about differences in job titles, having a say in product strategy, transitioning from internship to positions, and so much more! 01:01 What is the difference between a UX Designer and Product Designer? 03:58 Should UX designers have a say in the overall product strategy and decision  making process? 05:11    UX designers should always be operating from a place of...

The episode of the Career Strategy podcast features clips from a live Q+A with Sarah. On it, she answers questions about differences in job titles, having a say in product strategy, transitioning from internship to positions, and so much more! 01:01 What is the difference between a UX Designer and Product Designer? 03:58 Should UX designers have a say in the overall product strategy and decision  making process? 05:11    UX designers should always be operating from a place of...

In this episode, Sarah discusses the number one thing holding you back in your career, the benefits of a community, honing in on your goals, and so much more. 01:30 What does advancing your career mean to you? 05:34 What plans do you have in place to get you to your goals? 08:03 Every goal needs a why, a purpose, a motivation 10:00 Set aside some time to map out a plan. What do you need to do to achieve your goal? 11:45 You need a community of like-minded people to help stay...

Welcome to part 5 of the 5 part series on the Job Search. In this episode, Sarah discusses what it means when you’re rejected at different points of the hiring process,  reflecting on what is working and what isn’t, sparking relationships with employees, and accepting that sometimes rejection is a good thing. 01:35 Let’s jump right into how to deal with rejection in your job search 03:12 You’re not getting interviews, but who is rejecting you? An automatic system or a human...