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

🎉 Learn how I help UX people get 5-figure salary increases in my UX job search coaching program

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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 day
• Why clarity, hierarchy, and intuitive navigation matter more than visuals
• The difference between junior and senior-level UX signals
• Why “micro” case studies are often more effective than showing your entire process
• How Shopify screens applications and why complete applications are critical
• How to get into Shopify’s internal design candidate pool

Links from this episode:

• Learn about working at Shopify
• Connect with Jared on LinkedIn

🎉 Learn how I help UX people get 5-figure salary increases in my UX job search coaching program

👋 Say hi and follow me, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

In this episode, Sarah Doody chats with Faith, a Product Designer who successfully transitioned from a layoff to a Product Design role, all while navigating UX career uncertainty. Faith shares how she used Career Strategy Lab’s intentional UX job search framework to slow down, get clear on what she wanted, and create a UX portfolio and application strategy that aligned with her career goals.

In this episode, Faith shares how Career Strategy Lab helped her prioritize the “why” behind her career choices, overcome imposter syndrome, and set clear boundaries to avoid ending up in the wrong role. From networking on LinkedIn to being picky about where she applied, Faith’s story will inspire anyone going through a career transition or navigating a tough job search.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ Why being intentional about your job search makes all the difference

✔️ How to avoid the trap of applying to jobs just for the sake of it

✔️ How Faith used Career Strategy Lab to design her job search strategy

✔️ The importance of knowing your “Compass Statement” to guide decisions

✔️ Why Faith turned down a “perfectly good” offer in favor of the right fit

✔️ How CSL’s support and community made her more confident in interviews

✔️ Tips for networking and finding job opportunities that align with your values

✔️ Why staying true to your career goals led to better offers and more options

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Sarah Doody and Career Strategy Lab

00:38 Episode Overview and Open House Context

01:46 Faith's Career Journey and UX Experience

03:09 Navigating Job Search Challenges

05:05 The Importance of Intentionality in Job Applications

07:43 The Role of Career Strategy Lab in Job Search

09:21 Finding Job Opportunities and Networking

14:38 Impact of Career Strategy Lab on Personal and Professional Growth

17:11 Advice for Prospective Career Strategy Lab Members

25:33 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market

👉 Learn more about Sarah Doody's UX job search accelerator, Career Strategy Lab.

👋 Say hi and follow me, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.