105: How a UX Specialist With 20+ Years Experience Got Hired After A Layoff With Only 1 Project In His UX Portfolio

In this episode of the Career Strategy Podcast, host Sarah Doody dives into the transformative journey of Leon, a Career Strategy Lab (CSL) participant who navigated the ux jobs search after an unexpected layoff. Leon shares insights into how creating a career roadmap, leveraging a standout resume and portfolio, and embracing community support helped him secure a role in UX design at a government contractor. Sarah and Leon discuss actionable strategies, including the importance of aligning your job search with a clear vision, the value of mindset work, and breaking the myth of needing multiple projects in your portfolio.Timestamps01:01 Meet the Coaches01:12 Open House Insights03:14 Career Roadmap Creation06:43 The Importance of Community09:31 Tactical Resume and Portfolio Tips16:33 Navigating the Job Market20:11 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsWhat You’ll Learn in This Episode:How a career roadmap can serve as your "North Star" in the job search.The impact of combining tactical elements (resume, portfolio) with mindset and confidence-building.Why one excellent portfolio project can trump multiple mediocre ones.The importance of persistence and deliberate job applications.How community support and structure can keep you motivated during challenging times.Key Takeaways:Focus on Vision: Start with a career roadmap to clarify your direction before tackling resumes or LinkedIn profiles.Quality Over Quantity: A single well-crafted portfolio project can land you your dream job if it clearly highlights your skills and fit.Stay Structured: Treat your job search like a job or school to maintain routine and productivity.No Shortcuts: Success comes from following proven, structured approaches rather than chasing hacks.Community Counts: Sharing struggles and wins within a supportive group builds confidence and accountability.Resources Mentioned in This Episode:Career Strategy Lab – Learn more about Sarah’s program that helps professionals level up their job search.Share Your Feedback:Did this episode resonate with you? Tag Sarah on social media or email at hello@sarahdoody.com. If you found this episode helpful, don’t forget to rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts. 🎬 Watch our free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in 2025👉 Join 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.

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A third of our lives, or about 70,400 hours, are spent at work. At some point, you’ve likely found yourself stuck in your career and felt underpaid, undervalued, unfulfilled, underutilized, or unsure of where you’re headed and what you’re doing. Being stuck in your career is not your fault! Most career advice feels like it’s stuck in the 80’s and 90’s. The Career Strategy Podcast with Sarah Doody, Founder & CEO of Career Strategy Lab, will help you apply timeless design, marketing, and sales strategies to your career. Each episode has actionable steps that will take the overwhelm and stress out of advancing your career regardless of what stage you’re at.