Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

—

Sarah Doody is a UX Researcher & Product Designer with 22 years of experience. She is also the founder and CEO of Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search and career coaching company where she helps UX and product people get hired or promoted with average 5-figure salary increases. She is also the host of the podcast, Career Strategy Podcast that offers weekly tips and case studies about what’s working in the UX job market and hiring right now. Sarah also speaks at conferences worldwide including UXLX, UX London, AIGA, Productized, Front, Industry, and more.

In our conversation, we discuss:

* How Sarah used research practices to pivot from product work into career strategy, and what nearly a decade of data has taught her about getting hired and promoted.

* Why most job searches fall apart when people skip self-research and jump straight into resumes and portfolios.

* A simple career “journey map” exercise that helps surface patterns across roles, managers, projects, and personal energy.

* How a career roadmap creates focus, reduces rejection fatigue, and shapes better job decisions over time.

* The role of a clear compass statement in shaping resumes, portfolios, interviews, and confidence during a search.

Major takeaways from the episode

* Sarah frames career growth using the same structure teams use to build products: research, synthesis, direction, and iteration. When people skip this step, job searches turn reactive and exhausting. A roadmap restores clarity and control by anchoring decisions to what actually works for you.

* Resumes and portfolios break down when they’re built without context. Sarah explains how a simple highs-and-lows timeline across the past year can surface repeat signals around team fit, management style, project type, and energy. Those signals matter more than any formatting tweak.

* Applying to hundreds of roles creates rejection loops that drain momentum and self-trust. Sarah links this pattern to panic behavior and short-term thinking. Fewer, better-aligned applications often lead to stronger interviews and better outcomes.

* Career decisions ripple into mental health, relationships, time, and identity. Sarah urges people to layer real-life constraints and goals into their roadmap so work supports the life they want, rather than consuming it.

* A strong compass statement acts like a thesis for your career. It guides which roles you pursue, how you frame your experience, and how you talk about your strengths. This clarity shortens resume cycles, sharpens interviews, and restores confidence under pressure.

Where to find Sarah:

* Website: www.careerstrategylab.com and www.sarahdoody.com

* LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdoody

* Youtube: www.youtube.com/sarahdoody

* Instagram: www.instagram.com/sarahdoody

* Career Strategy Podcast

Stop piecing it together. Start leading the work.

The Everything UXR Bundle is for researchers who are tired of duct-taping free templates and second-guessing what good looks like.

You get my complete set of toolkits, templates, and strategy guides. used by teams across Google, Spotify, , to run credible research, influence decisions, and actually grow in your role.

It’s built to save you time, raise your game, and make you the person people turn to—not around.

→ Save 140+ hours a year with ready-to-use templates and frameworks

→ Boost productivity by 40% with tools that cut admin and sharpen your focus

→ Increase research adoption by 50% through clearer, faster, more strategic delivery

Interested in sponsoring the podcast?

Interested in sponsoring or advertising on this podcast? I’m always looking to partner with brands and businesses that align with my audience. Book a call or email me at nikki@userresearchacademy.com to learn more about sponsorship opportunities!

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of the host, the podcast, or any affiliated organizations or sponsors.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.userresearchstrategist.com/subscribe

UX Your Career, Not Your Resume | Sarah Doody

The User Research Strategist: UXR | Impact | AI

UX Your Career, Not Your Resume | Sarah Doody