A career break has NOT ruined your career, here's why ...

Think a career break has wrecked your UX career? Think again. It's a myth that a career break has ruined your career or chances of getting hired.

In this episode of the Career Strategy Podcast, Sarah Doody, a UX researcher, product designer, and founder of Career Strategy Lab, tackles one of the most common (and confidence-killing) job search myths: that taking time off ruins your chances of getting hired in UX or product.

Whether you stepped away to care for a family member, raise kids, or just breathe, this episode will show you how a break doesn’t break your career—the real issue is often the story you're telling about yourself as a candidate.

Learn the 3 strategies every UX and product person needs to stand out:

1) Design Strategy: Get clear on your value and direction
2) Marketing Strategy: Optimize your resume, LinkedIn, and UX portfolio
3) Sales Strategy: Build relationships that actually lead to interviews

You'll also learn about common symptoms that may indicate your career break IS holding you back in your job search and how to fix these problems:

😶‍🌫️ Why “identity fog” might be keeping you stuck
🫣 What it means to be an “invisible genius” (and how to fix it)
👻 Why ghosting isn’t always personal, and how to avoid “stranger syndrome” in your outreach

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro & why career breaks won't ruin your career
00:38 The Impact of career breaks on UX Careers
00:56 The Importance of your personal story in job searches
01:22 Addressing career break concerns
03:37 LinkedIn's career break feature
05:28 Three essential job search strategies for UX candidates
09:53 Identifying gaps in your job search strategies
12:23 Building and leveraging professional relationships
16:51 Final thoughts and workshop invitation
18:35 Conclusion and additional resources

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CONNECT WITH SARAH
💼 LinkedIn:   / sarahdoody  
📬 Newsletter: https://careerstrategylab.com/newsletter
🎤 Podcast: https://www.careerstrategypodcast.com
🌐 Website: https://careerstrategylab.com
📸 Instagram:   / sarahdoody  

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CAREER STRATEGY LAB
Career Strategy Lab is a job search accelerator and career incubator for UX, Product, and Tech professionals. Our clients have been hired at: American Express, Blue Origin, Home Depot, Microsoft, Salesforce, Wells Fargo, and many more companies!

💻 Apply to join: https://careerstrategylab.com/apply
🎯 Success stories: https://careerstrategylab.com/success...