148: From Lost in UX to Confident Systems Designer: How Phoenix Reclaimed His UX Career Identity

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

Sarah Doody from Career Strategy Lab

157 episodes

10 hours ago

Welcome to the Career Strategy Podcast, with Sarah Doody, a UX Researcher & Product Designer with 20 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?!

All content for Career Strategy Podcast with Sarah Doody | UX, Product Design, UX Research is the property of Sarah Doody from Career Strategy Lab and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

148: From Lost in UX to Confident Systems Designer: How Phoenix Reclaimed His UX Career Identity

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

32 minutes 50 seconds

1 week ago

148: From Lost in UX to Confident Systems Designer: How Phoenix Reclaimed His UX Career Identity

In this episode, Sarah sits down with Phoenix, a Career Strategy Lab (CSL) member who shares what it's like to be in the middle of their UX job search transformation.

Phoenix opens up about the identity crisis that came from trying to be what companies wanted and how shifting toward a product-thinking approach—treating their career like a system—led to clarity, confidence, and traction. This is a must-listen for any UX or product professional feeling stuck, unfocused, or uncertain about how to move forward in today’s job market.

You’ll hear Phoenix share the exact moment things started to click, the biggest mindset shifts since joining CSL, and how things like a simple resume rewrite not only clarified their value—but also unlocked a potential $20K salary bump.

Whether you’re pivoting into UX, climbing toward leadership, or simply tired of second-guessing yourself, Phoenix’s story will help you see what’s possible when you stop trying to be someone you’re not and start owning what you bring to the table.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ How Phoenix went from feeling irrelevant to in control of their UX career

✔️ Why “conforming” to what employers want actually backfires—and what to do instead

✔️ The power of the compass statement and how it transforms resumes, portfolios, and interviews

✔️ How systems thinking applies to both UX and job search strategy

✔️ The emotional journey of building a personal brand that reflects your true strengths

✔️ Why clarity is more powerful than pep talks when it comes to confidence

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Career Strategy Lab

00:38 Episode Overview and Open House Context

01:22 Q&A with Phoenix: UX Job Search Insights

03:59 Phoenix's Journey: From Uncertainty to Clarity

07:33 The Power of a Strong Resume and Compass Statement

20:04 Emotional Impact and Personal Growth

24:19 Advice for Job Seekers and Final Thoughts

🎬 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.

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