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143: UX Hiring Insights: Why It Can Take 12 Weeks to Fill UX Roles with Heather Cassar, VP of People)
Manage episode 511255652 series 3495117
Sarah Doody and Sarah Doody from Career Strategy Lab에서 제공하는 콘텐츠입니다. 에피소드, 그래픽, 팟캐스트 설명을 포함한 모든 팟캐스트 콘텐츠는 Sarah Doody and Sarah Doody from Career Strategy Lab 또는 해당 팟캐스트 플랫폼 파트너가 직접 업로드하고 제공합니다. 누군가가 귀하의 허락 없이 귀하의 저작물을 사용하고 있다고 생각되는 경우 여기에 설명된 절차를 따르실 수 있습니다 https://ko.player.fm/legal.
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:
- Why it now takes 12+ weeks (or more) to hire for UX roles
- What’s causing hesitation on both sides of the hiring table
- How candidate caution is slowing down the top of the funnel
- Why Heather says contract roles are NOT a red flag, and can lead to full-time
- What hiring managers actually look for in resumes and portfolios
- Tips for standing out even when the job market feels saturated
- The value of clarity, connection, and showing real outcomes
- How to tell your story without overselling or downplaying your experience
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.
👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
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