If you’re in a UX job search and wondering, “Is it just me, or is UX hiring slower than ever?” you’re not imagining it. In this episode, we chat with Heather Cassar, VP of People at Narmie (a fintech startup) who brings 15+ years of experience leading hiring, people strategy, and global team growth at companies like Cash App, Uber, Block, and more.
Heather brings first hand experience about what's actually happening in UX and Product hiring, on both the startup and enterprise side.
In our conversation, we dig into why companies may take longer to hire, what’s changing in how hiring decisions are made, and what UX candidates can do to stand out, even when it feels like you’re sending resumes into a void.
Whether you’re actively applying or quietly watching the market, this episode will give you perspective and relief. Heather breaks down what’s happening behind the scenes of hiring pipelines right now and reminds us: just because it’s taking longer doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. There are still ways to stand out, you just need a UX job search strategy that reflects the reality of today’s job market.
Check out Narmi's careers page here to see if they're hiring for UX roles!
Topics discussed:
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro & about Heather’s background
00:45 – Why UX hiring feels “wild” right now
04:00 – What’s slowing down the hiring process from the company side
06:30 – The return of more rigorous headcount approval
07:15 – Why candidates are hesitant to even take recruiter calls
08:30 – The emotional risk of leaving one “meh” job for another
09:15 – Are contract roles bad? Heather’s surprising take
10:30 – Why contract roles aren’t a red flag to hiring managers
11:30 – What companies actually want to see on a resume
12:30 – The importance of storytelling over perfection
13:45 – How Heather screens for “intentionality” in candidates
15:00 – The challenge of employer branding at smaller companies
16:10 – Why “unicorn” job descriptions confuse candidates
17:20 – Heather’s thoughts on AI-generated portfolios and resumes
18:30 – Referrals vs. cold applications: which one matters more?
19:45 – Heather’s take on design exercises and case studies
22:30 – Why clarity + connection beats overly polished language
25:15 – Common mistakes candidates make in storytelling
28:45 – How to stay confident during a slow job search
34:10 – Heather’s advice to mid-career UX pros feeling stuck
40:25 – Closing thoughts & where to connect with Heather
🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market
👉 Join Sarah Doody's Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.
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