3 Things I’d Do If I Was Laid Off From a UX Role Today

Career Strategy Podcast — Ep 183

3 Things I’d Do If I Was Laid Off From a UX Role Today

Host: Sarah Doody (solo episode)

INTRO

Sarah Doody: Today’s episode is one I’ve been meaning to do for a while. I see the same posts you probably do on LinkedIn — companies announcing layoffs. So I wanted to do an episode specific to what you should do if you find yourself in a position where you’ve been laid off. If this is you, and you just found out you’ve lost your UX role, I hope this episode gives you some really practical, actionable things to do.

Sarah Doody: So that you feel less uncertain, more hopeful — not unsure what to do, but able to take action and put one foot in front of the other. If it’s you, I want you to know: I’ve got your back. So let’s take a breath, listen to the episode, and then hopefully implement these three simple things you should prioritize in the next few days or weeks, whenever the time feels right.

Sarah Doody: Hey, I’m Sarah Doody, a user researcher and product designer with 22 years of experience. In 2017, I noticed something a little ironic. UX and product people, despite being great at designing experiences for other people, often struggle to design their own careers. That’s why I created Career Strategy Lab and this podcast — to help you navigate your UX job search, grow in your current role, and avoid skill and salary plateaus. All in a chill, BS-free way.

WHY I WOULDN’T PLAY THE NUMBERS GAME

Sarah Doody: So what should you do if you just found out you’ve lost your UX role? Here’s what I would not do, first of all. I would not open LinkedIn and start hitting easy apply to every job with the word UX in the title, hoping something works. I’ve done another episode about why I don’t recommend playing the numbers game in your job search, and I’ll link to it in the show notes.

Sarah Doody: That’s the move so many people make, and it’s exactly why a job search starts to feel overwhelming and why burnout creeps in. If you just apply, apply, apply to every job with UX in it, you’re probably going to receive a lot of rejections. And a lot of rejections can start to affect your mental health. So check out that other episode about why I don’t recommend the numbers game. What I do recommend is these three things. Let’s dive in.

STEP 1 — GET SPECIFIC ABOUT THE ROLE YOU ACTUALLY WANT

Sarah Doody: The first thing I’d recommend is to get ruthlessly specific about the role you actually want. If it were me, before I even touched my resume or portfolio or started applying, I’d sit down and get clear on what I want. Beyond the job title and the salary, consider the team, the day-to-day tasks, the company, the size, the culture — even whether it’s remote, hybrid, or in person, and what the benefits are.

Sarah Doody: Here’s how I’d approach it: I’d think back through my past jobs and do a little audit. That helps you get clearer — “wait, that job three years ago, I really hated these three parts of it, but I loved these other things.” A lot of us never stop to think about this, but it’s so important, because it helps us not play the numbers game.

Sarah Doody: So think about what you loved, what you hated, and what you never want to do or experience again. It could be traits of the team, your manager, or the company. Then think about your superpowers — the things you’re genuinely good at that not everyone else is. The tricky thing about superpowers is that sometimes we’re not aware of our own.

Sarah Doody: If you feel comfortable, reach out to people you’ve worked with — managers you have a good relationship with can help answer this. Sometimes when we’re naturally good at something, we don’t see it. We shake it off: “yeah, of course I’m good at research, or storytelling.” But when you ask other people, they may say: “No — you’re an amazing researcher, for these reasons. Your storytelling is awesome. Remember when you did XYZ?”

Sarah Doody: Asking yourself these questions matters, but asking other people helps you see things you thought you were just okay at in a new light. It can also be great for your confidence, especially right after a layoff. Hearing other people name what you’re good at can reinforce skills you’ve started to doubt.

Sarah Doody: Let me make this real with my own situation. I’m a user researcher and a product designer; I’ve been doing this for 22 years. For the past five years or so I’ve been running Career Strategy Lab, my UX job search coaching program, and I’ve been teaching since 2012, so I have a lot of experience in education. I also have a lot of B2C experience. If I were starting over today, I wouldn’t just look for a “UX job” — a job with UX in the title.

Sarah Doody: I’d think about UX research, product strategy, or product design roles at education or entertainment companies — companies like MasterClass, or Circle (a community platform), or Blackboard (a learning management system). Those would be smart for me to consider, because I have so much experience in teaching and education. That could be the thing that sets me apart from people applying to those companies with zero education experience. And frankly, I enjoy it — I’m genuinely interested in the topic.

Sarah Doody: So that’s one filter I’d use to get really specific about the role I actually want. Instead of applying to everything, I’m now specific about the kind of role, and I’ve even identified certain companies I might apply to. That clarity is everything — and it informs the next two things.

STEP 2 — INCREASE YOUR VISIBILITY WHERE HIRING HAPPENS

Sarah Doody: The second thing I’d do, after figuring out what to focus on, is increase your visibility where the people who hire hang out. Visibility is so important. I’ve worked in marketing for a long time — it’s part of running my business — and I could spend time on TikTok or Instagram, but I know most of my potential audience is on LinkedIn. So I prioritize being visible there, because that’s where my people are. In the same way, think about where the recruiters and hiring managers looking for someone like you actually hang out.

Sarah Doody: It’s probably LinkedIn. But also think about niche communities. Recruiters hang out in communities. If you want a UX role in healthcare or fintech, or a researcher role, there are specific Slack communities, Discords, LinkedIn groups, and Facebook groups. Recruiters and hiring managers are sometimes lurking there, sometimes very active.

Sarah Doody: So how do you increase your visibility in these places? Let’s start with LinkedIn. Because I’d be looking for a user research, product strategy, or product design role in education or entertainment, I’d apply that to my profile — starting with my headline, the text below my name. That’s the first thing a recruiter skims, and it shows up in search results, in the right-hand “people” column, under your name in the feed, and when you comment.

Sarah Doody: So your headline is a chance to communicate who you are and what you do across LinkedIn — someone doesn’t even need to reach your profile page. They might just read that you have 15 years of UX research experience in healthcare, for example. If it were me, I’d get my years of experience, what I do, and my focus into that line: 20-plus years of UX research and product strategy with a focus on education and B2C, and that I’m the founder of an education company.

Sarah Doody: Next I’d update the About section, then work experience, skills, and maybe the Featured section — all with one filter: are these updates communicating and reinforcing my skills and experience in user research, product strategy, and product design in education and entertainment, with a B2C focus? See the power of step one? Getting clear on your focus makes updating LinkedIn so much easier.

Sarah Doody: After a quick refresh, I’d absolutely turn on Open to Work. I totally disagree with the narrative that it makes you look desperate — I don’t buy it, and I’ve done an episode about that, which I’ll link in the show notes. It’s a direct signal to recruiters, hiring managers, and the algorithm that you’re available. That’s visibility.

Sarah Doody: I know this works because in my coaching program, Career Strategy Lab, people get found by recruiters and hiring managers on LinkedIn all the time — because they increase their visibility by making their profile more specific. My episode with Laura shares how she got hired as a principal product designer because a hiring manager found her, reached out, and she interviewed and got hired.

Sarah Doody: I have other examples too. Someone knew they wanted to work in STEM, updated their profile to say so, and within days a recruiter reached out. She interviewed and got the STEM job. That’s the power of visibility. Beyond updating your profile, I’d also start posting about those topics — which brings me to number three.

STEP 3 — POST ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO BE HIRED FOR

Sarah Doody: To increase your visibility, you need to post about what you want to be hired for. I think of posts — on LinkedIn or in communities you’re part of — as an extension of your resume. It’s another chance to showcase your skills and experience. This is what a lot of people get wrong: they post about topics that distract from their actual skills.

Sarah Doody: It’s tempting to post personal stuff, get into debates, or share memes — but I think that’s a wasted opportunity. There’s real power in posting content specific to the role you want next and the industry you want to work in. So the big takeaway: what you post and comment on is an extension of your resume, and a way to tell both humans and the algorithm what you want to be known for.

Sarah Doody: If I wanted to get hired in UX research, product strategy, or product design at an education company, that’s what I’d post about. Not my personal life or summer travels. I wouldn’t get into whatever the UX industry is debating that day. I’d keep it laser-focused on education — curriculum design, how to design accountability and feedback into a learning experience, how to use milestones to help people finish what they start.

Sarah Doody: It can be simple. Maybe I listened to a podcast episode about education, or by a curriculum designer, or about research in education — I post the link with a sentence or two of my takeaway. So when I say post on LinkedIn or in your communities, it doesn’t mean giant thought-leadership articles, or starting a podcast and a YouTube channel. The point is to show people what you’re interested in and learning right now. If that lines up with what they’re hiring for, it’s a signal to reach out to you.

PUTTING THE THREE STEPS TOGETHER

Sarah Doody: So let me bring it together. You’ve been laid off. It’s going to be okay, and there are things you can control. Number one: get clear on what you want in your next role, beyond salary and job title. Number two: start being visible where those people hang out — first identify where they are (probably LinkedIn, but also communities you’re part of), then update your LinkedIn quickly based on step one.

Sarah Doody: Then the ongoing thing — step three — is to post about what you want to be known for. It comes back to visibility. Visibility isn’t “update your LinkedIn and you’re done.” It’s an ongoing activity you should always be thinking about in your job search, and especially if you’re in one right now.

Sarah Doody: Getting hired in today’s market isn’t just about applying. You’ll get hired faster if you do these three things. So take one small step today — update your LinkedIn, post something, or step back and get clearer on what you’re looking for.

A LAYOFF CHECKLIST + A FINAL WORD

Sarah Doody: I also have a layoff checklist that might help — I’ll link to it in the notes below. It gives you more practical things you can do. If this episode helped, I’d really appreciate a quick star rating wherever you’re listening. And if you know someone who was recently laid off, this would be a great one to share — they probably need to hear it.

Sarah Doody: And if you need help with your UX job search, I invite you to see how I help UX and product people get hired and promoted with five-figure salary increases. I’ve put together a walkthrough of my coaching program, Career Strategy Lab — the templates, the accountability, the check-ins, the job referral network, the detailed courses and community, and more. To watch the tour, go to careerstrategylab.com/apply. That’s all for today — I’ll see you in another episode soon.