150+ curated guides, scripts, and frameworks sorted by role, challenge, strengths, and more
Based on real career patterns from coaching over 2,400 UXers
Last month, two of my mentees messaged me in the same week.
One:
"Just got tapped to lead a flagship project, the VP emailed me directly." She’d always been the person who could untangle the messiest workflows and spot the usability issues nobody else saw.
The other:
"It’s official. Director title. My UX roadmap got an ovation!" It made perfect sense, she had a way of making teams rally behind a shared goal.
Different levels. Different paths.
Same shift: they stopped relying on skills alone…and started using their natural strengths to build influence.
Here’s the thing nobody tells you about moving up in UX:
❌ You don’t get promoted for the work you do.
✅ You get promoted for the influence your work has.
I learned this over 25+ years in UX, from scrappy startups to Fortune 500 boardrooms - and by mentoring thousands of UXers at every career stage, each with their own strengths.
That’s why I write UX Mentor Diaries - to help you stop dismissing your natural strengths and start turning them into influence, and that influence into leadership that gets noticed and rewarded.
Until now, those 150+ guides, scripts, and frameworks were buried in a long archive.
Now, they’re organized in a “master list” - by role, challenge, “actionability”, career mistake to avoid, and more - so you can find exactly what you need and start building influence today.
👉 If you’re new here, start with these FREE favorites ↴
How to move from “High-Performing” to “Promotion-Ready” (3 actionable frameworks to start now for a promotion in the next 6-12 months)
The Unofficial Path to UX Leadership - Why waiting for a promotion might be holding you back (and what to do instead)
What Stakeholders Need to Hear (But You’re Not Saying) - The missing link between great design and leadership buy-in
and now the…
MASTER LIST
👉 BY WHERE YOU ARE IN YOUR CAREER
Mid-Level (3–6 years in)
Stuck in one domain (finance, healthcare, etc.)
👉 BY CAREER CHALLENGE
👉 BY SKILL TO STRENGTHEN
👉 BY “ACTIONABILITY” LEVEL
👉 BY CAREER MISTAKE TO AVOID
Being the only UX voice in the room (and not building alliances)
👉 BY PERSONALITY / STYLE
👉 BY WHERE YOU ARE IN YOUR CAREER
⬇️ Mid-Level (3–6 years in)
From "Make It Pretty" to "Make It Matter" - 3 Practical Moves to Break Free from the "Make It Pretty" Box
"How do I stop explaining design like a designer and start communicating like a partner?" - This is where influence dies (and how to stop it)
Why Your Eagerness to Please Is Sabotaging Your UX Career (The Silent Career Killer #25)
Being "too coachable" (The Silent Career Killer #28)
You're skilled, experienced, and adaptable. So why are you still invisible? (The Silent Career Killer #31)
The "Well-Rounded" Trap (The Silent Career Killer #36)
How do I get out of "order taker" mode when I've been in it for years? - They trust you to ship. Not to shape
They Love Working With You. That's the Problem. - Why "low-friction" designers get praised (but left out of big decisions)
How to Turn Critical Thinking Into Your Strongest Design Skill - Stop solving what's obvious and find what MATTERS
How to Stop Being Seen as "Just a Doer" - Practical steps to position yourself as a strategic UX thinker
⬇️ Senior Designer
What Stakeholders Need to Hear (But You're Not Saying) - The missing link between great design and leadership buy-in
Mistaking Strategic Fluency for Strategic Power (The Silent Career Killer #32)
Clean design with no point of view (The Silent Career Killer #39)
Stop Letting YOUR UX Impact Disappear into "Product Metrics" (The Silent Career Killer #16)
The "Political Intelligence" Playbook - How to Ensure Your Research Shapes Decisions Without Creating Enemies
"Good design will speak for itself" (The Silent Career Killer #24)
Why Many UX Experts Say Nothing New and How You Can Be Different - The PRISM framework for developing your UX voice
How to turn your "non-UX" background is your secret UX weapon - Stop hiding your past experience
The Hidden Work That Gets You Promoted - A framework for making strategic UX skills visible
⬇️ Lead / Staff IC
You Think You're Being Evaluated on WHAT You Do? You're Not (The Silent Career Killer #33)
Missing the Moments that Matter (The Silent Career Killer #40)
"How do I grow when my manager keeps praising me… but never gives me opportunities?" - You're being praised into stagnation
The Praise Trap (The Silent Career Killer #38)
"There's No Room Right Now" | How to structure your own growth path in a flat org (The Silent Career Killer #37)
How to Move from "High-Performing" to "Promotion-Ready" - 3 actionable frameworks for promotion
The Unofficial Path to UX Leadership - Why waiting for a promotion might be holding you back
Building Influence Fast when You're New to the Company - The unexpected way to lead when no one knows your name
⬇️ First-time Leader / Manager
5 Reasons You Still Don't Feel Like a UX Leader - And how to fix each one (without waiting for permission or a promotion)
4 Moves That Help First-Time UX Leaders Get Taken Seriously - How to lead former peers, build authority and earn respect
How to Succeed in Your First Role as a UX Leader - A Practical Step-by-Step Guide
Building Influence Fast when You're New to the Company - The unexpected way to lead when no one knows your name
Beyond Sugar-Coating - 5 difficult conversations every new UX leader must learn to navigate
Tough Teams, Happy Teams - 5 strategies to fight burnout and boost your team's resilience
Suffocating Oversight - 10 tactics for pushing back against UX micromanagement
⬇️ Aspiring Manager
Should you take the leap from UX designer (individual contributor) to a UX leader? - What to expect and how to succeed
The Unofficial Path to UX Leadership - Why waiting for a promotion might be holding you back
Preparing for the Challenges of UX Leadership - So, You've Caught the UX Leadership Bug, huh?
Leadership Launchpad - A 90-day no-BS action plan for success for aspiring UX leaders
Leadership Readiness - How to break free from the "great work, not ready" trap
How to Ace UX Leadership Interviews - Moving from an Experienced Practitioner to an Effective Leader
The Hidden Work That Gets You Promoted - A framework for making strategic UX skills visible
⬇️ Long-time UXer, no clear growth path
Designing Your Own UX Career Map - What to do when you've reached a crossroads with no clear direction
Stuck in your role? Here's how to grow anyway → Stories of UXers who expanded their impact without changing titles
How to Make Career Moves with Clarity and Confidence in 2025 - The art of knowing when to move on
How do I build real career security in a field that keeps reinventing itself and cutting people like me? - UX feels disposable
When Your Yesterday's Expertise Becomes Today's Liability - UX Design Darwinism: Adapt or Fade
Holding on to old UX wins for too long (The Silent Career Killer #11)
Future-proof your UX career with AI personalization skills - 3 strategies for designing trustworthy AI experiences
⬇️ Stuck in one domain (finance, healthcare, etc.)
How to turn your "non-UX" background is your secret UX weapon - Stop hiding your past experience
Why Working on an "Outdated" Product Might Be Your Best Path to UX Leadership - The hidden advantage of working on LEGACY products
How to identify your natural talents in UX - 5-step framework to fast-track your career by focusing on your strengths
A Career Switch from Product Management to Product Design - The Roadmap to Redefining Careers
👉 BY CAREER CHALLENGE
⬇️ I feel invisible at work
Being "under-remembered" (The Silent Career Killer #29)
You're skilled, experienced, and adaptable. So why are you still invisible? (The Silent Career Killer #31 )
How to Influence How People See You - Rewiring how people talk about you starts with what you give them to remember
How invisibility kills your career + a downloadable cheat sheet (The Silent Career Killer #26)
Missing the Moments that Matter (The Silent Career Killer #40)
Building Influence Fast when You're New to the Company - The unexpected way to lead when no one knows your name
⬇️ I want to lead, but I'm not "seen" as a leader
5 Reasons You Still Don't Feel Like a UX Leader - And how to fix each one (without waiting for permission or a promotion)
The Unofficial Path to UX Leadership - Why waiting for a promotion might be holding you back
Leadership Readiness - How to break free from the "great work, not ready" trap
How to Move from "High-Performing" to "Promotion-Ready" - 3 actionable frameworks for promotion
4 Moves That Help First-Time UX Leaders Get Taken Seriously - How to lead former peers, build authority
⬇️ I've outgrown my role, but no one's offering me more
"There's No Room Right Now" | How to structure your own growth path in a flat org (The Silent Career Killer #37)
"How do I grow when my manager keeps praising me… but never gives me opportunities?" - You're being praised into stagnation
The Praise Trap (The Silent Career Killer #38)
NOT Articulating Your Career Ambitions to Your Manager (The Silent Career Killer #19)
Stuck in your role? Here's how to grow anyway - Stories of UXers who expanded their impact without changing titles
⬇️ I'm the “go-to”, but not getting promoted
Mistaking Effort for Identity (And Why "Working Harder" Stops Working) (The Silent Career Killer #34)
They Love Working With You. That's the Problem. - Why "low-friction" designers get praised (but left out of big decisions)
Why Your Eagerness to Please Is Sabotaging Your UX Career (The Silent Career Killer #25)
Being "too coachable" (The Silent Career Killer #28)
How do I get out of "order taker" mode when I've been in it for years? - They trust you to ship. Not to shape
⬇️ I'm getting interviews, but no offers
3 Proven Formulas for Answering Any UX Interview Question - Practical strategies for articulating your expertise with confidence
How Do I Know If My Portfolio (or LinkedIn) Is Holding Me Back? - The silent reason you're not getting interviews, callbacks, or promotions
Turning the dreaded "Tell Me About Yourself" into your strongest pitch - A step-by-step guide for highlighting your skills
Transform interview anxiety into your superpower with NERVS framework - With 5 effective exercises
How to Ace UX Leadership Interviews - Moving from an Experienced Practitioner to an Effective Leader
⬇️ I'm burnt out and bored
Feeling guilty for taking time off (The Silent Career Killer #10)
Mistaking Effort for Identity (And Why "Working Harder" Stops Working) (The Silent Career Killer #34)
How to Make Career Moves with Clarity and Confidence in 2025 - The art of knowing when to move on
Tough Teams, Happy Teams - 5 strategies to fight burnout and boost your team's resilience
The Do-More-With-Less Trap (The Silent Career Killer #23)
⬇️ I do great work, but execs don't understand it
What Stakeholders Need to Hear (But You're Not Saying) - The missing link between great design and leadership buy-in
"How do I stop explaining design like a designer and start communicating like a partner?" - This is where influence dies
"Good design will speak for itself" (The Silent Career Killer #24)
Stop Letting YOUR UX Impact Disappear into "Product Metrics" (The Silent Career Killer #16)
Elevate Your Presentations with Emotional Hooks - Harnessing the power of emotion for memorable narratives
⬇️ I'm too senior to be mentored, but not senior enough to shape strategy
Mistaking Strategic Fluency for Strategic Power (The Silent Career Killer #32)
You Think You're Being Evaluated on WHAT You Do? You're Not (The Silent Career Killer #33)
The "Political Intelligence" Playbook - How to Ensure Your Research Shapes Decisions Without Creating Enemies
How to Move from "High-Performing" to "Promotion-Ready" - 3 actionable frameworks for promotion
Why Many UX Experts Say Nothing New and How You Can Be Different - The PRISM framework for developing your UX voice
⬇️ I'm stuck being the generalist who "fills gaps"
The "Well-Rounded" Trap (The Silent Career Killer #36)
You're skilled, experienced, and adaptable. So why are you still invisible? (The Silent Career Killer #31)
How to identify your natural talents in UX - 5-step framework to fast-track your career by focusing on your strengths
How to Stop Being Seen as "Just a Doer" - Practical steps to position yourself as a strategic UX thinker
👉 BY SKILL TO STRENGTHEN
⬇️ Framing UX work strategically
What Stakeholders Need to Hear (But You're Not Saying) - The missing link between great design and leadership buy-in
"How do I stop explaining design like a designer and start communicating like a partner?" - This is where influence dies
One Framing Mistake That Hurts Your Career + a downloadable Framework & Worksheet (The Silent Career Killer #27)
Stop Letting YOUR UX Impact Disappear into "Product Metrics" (The Silent Career Killer #16)
From "Make It Pretty" to "Make It Matter" - 3 Practical Moves to Break Free from the "Make It Pretty" Box
⬇️ Stakeholder alignment
The "Political Intelligence" Playbook - How to Ensure Your Research Shapes Decisions Without Creating Enemies
The Art of the Strategic "No" - How to push back on bad ideas without pushing away stakeholders
The stakeholder blindspot (The Silent Career Killer #22)
When Stakeholders Know Just Enough UX to Be Dangerous - How to guide stakeholders from UX buzzwords to better decisions
They Said "Yes"... But It Wasn't Really a Decision - 9 ways stakeholders avoid ownership
⬇️ Executive communication
What Stakeholders Need to Hear (But You're Not Saying) - The missing link between great design and leadership buy-in
Elevate Your Presentations with Emotional Hooks - Harnessing the power of emotion for memorable narratives
How to Guide Your CEO's Enthusiasm for "Shiny New Features" into Meaningful Product Evolution - 4 strategies
The Hidden Work That Gets You Promoted - A framework for making strategic UX skills visible
⬇️ Writing with clarity
The "Over-Documentation" Trap (The Silent Career Killer #18)
One buzzword to "retire" from your resume, portfolio and LinkedIn profile... - ...if you want to be taken seriously
The Brag Sheet: A Game-Changing Strategy for Landing Your Next Promotion! - Ready to secure that well-deserved promotion?
⬇️ Cross-functional influence
The Art of "Gentle Influence" - 5 unexpected ways to win hearts (and design decisions)
How to Influence How People See You - Rewiring how people talk about you starts with what you give them to remember
Mastering the Art of Tactful Pushback in UX - 10 strategies and exercises for navigating stakeholder dynamics
Building Influence Fast when You're New to the Company - The unexpected way to lead when no one knows your name
⬇️ Business fluency
The UX Attitude Shift - 3 powerful ways to unite your tactical (craft) skills with strategic (business) impact
How "value" thinking fuels your UX team - Or, 5 ways to inspire ethical dedication
How UXers can drive change across complex systems - Expanding design influences from pixels to strategy
⬇️ Decision-making with incomplete data
Decision paralysis due to over-analysis (The Silent Career Killer #14)
Overcomplicating the Problem-Solving Process (The Silent Career Killer #13)
How to Turn Critical Thinking Into Your Strongest Design Skill - Stop solving what's obvious and find what MATTERS
⬇️ Translating research into action
How to Frame Research as a Team Win (Not a Delay) - Crafting a research-first approach that even skeptics can get behind
The "Political Intelligence" Playbook - How to Ensure Your Research Shapes Decisions Without Creating Enemies
Solving the Wrong Problem Perfectly - A hard-earned lesson in why user research should come before solutioning
⬇️ Leading without authority
Building Influence Fast when You're New to the Company - The unexpected way to lead when no one knows your name
The Unofficial Path to UX Leadership - Why waiting for a promotion might be holding you back
The Art of "Gentle Influence" - 5 unexpected ways to win hearts (and design decisions)
4 Moves That Help First-Time UX Leaders Get Taken Seriously - How to lead former peers, build authority
⬇️ Persuasive communication
The Art of "Gentle Influence" - 5 unexpected ways to win hearts (and design decisions)
The Art of the Strategic "No" - How to push back on bad ideas without pushing away stakeholders
Elevate Your Presentations with Emotional Hooks - Harnessing the power of emotion for memorable narratives
Ignoring the "Art of Internal Persuasion" (The Silent Career Killer #2)
⬇️ Negotiating scope and timelines
Are you being low-balled? - A 7-step plan to get better at salary negotiations
Mastering the Art of UX Career Advancement, part 2 - Negotiation Preparation Worksheet
The Do-More-With-Less Trap (The Silent Career Killer #23)
Suffocating Oversight - 10 tactics for pushing back against UX micromanagement
👉 BY “ACTIONABILITY" LEVEL
⬇️ Quick fixes (Do this today)
How to Influence How People See You - Rewiring how people talk about you starts with what you give them to remember
The Art of the Strategic "No" - How to push back on bad ideas without pushing away stakeholders
Why Small Talk Is Overrated (And What to Do Instead) - The Anti-Small Talk Playbook
When Everyone Talks Over You - Real-world advice for turning discussions that actually get somewhere
Fix the Pain Before Adding the Sparkle - Practical ways to get stakeholders to focus on fixing what matters most
⬇️ Positioning
You Think You're Being Evaluated on WHAT You Do? You're Not (The Silent Career Killer #33)
Being "under-remembered" (The Silent Career Killer #29)
You're skilled, experienced, and adaptable. So why are you still invisible? (The Silent Career Killer #31)
How to identify your natural talents in UX - 5-step framework to fast-track your career by focusing on your strengths
5 Reasons You Still Don't Feel Like a UX Leader - And how to fix each one (without waiting for permission or a promotion)
⬇️ Step-by-step systems
The "Political Intelligence" Playbook - How to Ensure Your Research Shapes Decisions Without Creating Enemies
How to Move from "High-Performing" to "Promotion-Ready" - 3 actionable frameworks for promotion
Leadership Launchpad - A 90-day no-BS action plan for success for aspiring UX leaders
4 Moves That Help First-Time UX Leaders Get Taken Seriously - How to lead former peers, build authority
3 Proven Formulas for Answering Any UX Interview Question - Practical strategies for articulating your expertise
⬇️ Copy-paste scripts
The Art of "Gentle Influence" - 5 unexpected ways to win hearts (and design decisions)
NOT Articulating Your Career Ambitions to Your Manager (The Silent Career Killer #19)
Turning the dreaded "Tell Me About Yourself" into your strongest pitch - A step-by-step guide
Transform interview anxiety into your superpower with NERVS framework - With 5 effective exercises
⬇️ Strategic deep dives
Designing Your Own UX Career Map - What to do when you've reached a crossroads with no clear direction
What Stakeholders Need to Hear (But You're Not Saying) - The missing link between great design and leadership buy-in
The UX Attitude Shift - 3 powerful ways to unite your tactical (craft) skills with strategic (business) impact
Why Many UX Experts Say Nothing New and How You Can Be Different - The PRISM framework for developing your UX voice
⬇️ Career shift planning
How to Make Career Moves with Clarity and Confidence in 2025 - The art of knowing when to move on
Should you take the leap from UX designer (individual contributor) to a UX leader? - What to expect and how to succeed
Guiding the Leap: Mentoring a Career Switch from Product Management to Product Design - The Roadmap to Redefining Careers
Future-proof your UX career with AI personalization skills - 3 strategies for designing trustworthy AI experiences
⬇️ Confidence/mindset tools
Being "too coachable" (The Silent Career Killer #28)
Why Your Eagerness to Please Is Sabotaging Your UX Career (The Silent Career Killer #25)
Feeling guilty for taking time off (The Silent Career Killer #10)
Leadership Readiness - How to break free from the "great work, not ready" trap
How to Stop Being Seen as "Just a Doer" - Practical steps to position yourself as a strategic UX thinker
⬇️ Leadership-level nuance
Mistaking Strategic Fluency for Strategic Power (The Silent Career Killer #32)
Beyond Sugar-Coating - 5 difficult conversations every new UX leader must learn to navigate
Authenticity in Leadership - The CRED approach to leadership credibility
Heart Beats and Mind Maps: The Future of UX Leadership - Rethinking Leadership Paradigms
Building Your Personal Brand as a UX Leader - Embracing Unconventional Wisdom to Lead with Authenticity
👉 BY CAREER MISTAKE TO AVOID
⬇️ Title inflation without proof
The title inflation trap (The Silent Career Killer #30)
Are You "Top Talent", "High Potential", or a "High Performer"? - Decoding UX career labels
You Think You're Being Evaluated on WHAT You Do? You're Not (The Silent Career Killer #33)
⬇️ Letting your work "speak for itself"
"Good design will speak for itself" (The Silent Career Killer #24)
Being "under-remembered" (The Silent Career Killer #29)
Stop Letting YOUR UX Impact Disappear into "Product Metrics" (The Silent Career Killer #16)
The Hidden Work That Gets You Promoted - A framework for making strategic UX skills visible
⬇️ Waiting for permission to lead
The Unofficial Path to UX Leadership - Why waiting for a promotion might be holding you back
5 Reasons You Still Don't Feel Like a UX Leader - And how to fix each one (without waiting for permission or a promotion)
Building Influence Fast when You're New to the Company - The unexpected way to lead when no one knows your name
⬇️ Being helpful instead of strategic
Why Your Eagerness to Please Is Sabotaging Your UX Career (The Silent Career Killer #25)
They Love Working With You. That's the Problem. - Why "low-friction" designers get praised (but left out of big decisions)
How do I get out of "order taker" mode when I've been in it for years? - They trust you to ship. Not to shape
Being "too coachable" (The Silent Career Killer #28)
⬇️ Over-indexing on visual craft
From "Make It Pretty" to "Make It Matter" - 3 Practical Moves to Break Free from the "Make It Pretty" Box
Clean design with no point of view (The Silent Career Killer #39)
"How do I stop explaining design like a designer and start communicating like a partner?" - This is where influence dies
⬇️ Being the ONLY UX voice in the room and not building alliances
Networking for People Who'd Rather Not - You don't need to be outgoing. You need to be remembered
Ignoring the "Art of Internal Persuasion" (The Silent Career Killer #2)
The "Political Intelligence" Playbook - How to Ensure Your Research Shapes Decisions Without Creating Enemies
Building Influence Fast when You're New to the Company - The unexpected way to lead when no one knows your name
⬇️ Never documenting your wins
The Brag Sheet: A Game-Changing Strategy for Landing Your Next Promotion! - Ready to secure that well-deserved promotion?
Being "under-remembered" (The Silent Career Killer #29)
The Hidden Work That Gets You Promoted - A framework for making strategic UX skills visible
⬇️ Thinking visibility = arrogance
How to Influence How People See You - Rewiring how people talk about you starts with what you give them to remember
How invisibility kills your career + a downloadable cheat sheet (The Silent Career Killer #26)
Building Your Personal Brand as a UX Leader - Embracing Unconventional Wisdom to Lead with Authenticity
👉 BY PERSONALITY / STYLE
⬇️ Quiet but powerful
The Art of "Gentle Influence" - 5 unexpected ways to win hearts (and design decisions)
Networking for People Who'd Rather Not - You don't need to be outgoing. You need to be remembered
Building Influence Fast when You're New to the Company - The unexpected way to lead when no one knows your name
The Art of the Strategic "No" - How to push back on bad ideas without pushing away stakeholders
⬇️ Fast-thinking and strategic
"How do I stop explaining design like a designer and start communicating like a partner?" - This is where influence dies
How to Turn Critical Thinking Into Your Strongest Design Skill - Stop solving what's obvious and find what MATTERS
The "Political Intelligence" Playbook - How to Ensure Your Research Shapes Decisions Without Creating Enemies
Mistaking Strategic Fluency for Strategic Power (The Silent Career Killer #32)
⬇️ Thoughtful and long-winded
The "Over-Documentation" Trap (The Silent Career Killer #18)
Overcomplicating the Problem-Solving Process (The Silent Career Killer #13)
Why Small Talk Is Overrated (And What to Do Instead) - The Anti-Small Talk Playbook
⬇️ High performer, low self-promoter
Being "under-remembered" (The Silent Career Killer #29)
They Love Working With You. That's the Problem. - Why "low-friction" designers get praised (but left out of big decisions)
How to Influence How People See You - Rewiring how people talk about you starts with what you give them to remember
The Brag Sheet: A Game-Changing Strategy for Landing Your Next Promotion! - Ready to secure that well-deserved promotion?
⬇️ Empathetic leader
Breaking Free from the "UX Therapist" Trap (The Silent Career Killer #3)
Beyond Sugar-Coating - 5 difficult conversations every new UX leader must learn to navigate
Tough Teams, Happy Teams - 5 strategies to fight burnout and boost your team's resilience
The Art of "Gentle Influence" - 5 unexpected ways to win hearts (and design decisions)
⬇️ Skeptical overthinker
Decision paralysis due to over-analysis (The Silent Career Killer #14)
Focusing too much on "What if" scenarios (The Silent Career Killer #7)
Overcomplicating the Problem-Solving Process (The Silent Career Killer #13)
How to Turn Critical Thinking Into Your Strongest Design Skill - Stop solving what's obvious and find what MATTERS
⬇️ Fast starter, slow finisher
Holding on to old UX wins for too long (The Silent Career Killer #11)
How to Break Free from the "Perfection Trap" - Or, how prioritizing progress over perfection can supercharge your design journey
Confusing Enthusiasm for Strategy (The Silent Career Killer #5)
⬇️ Legacy builder
Heart Beats and Mind Maps: The Future of UX Leadership - Rethinking Leadership Paradigms
How to Take Your UX Know-How to Mentor Mode - 7 scenarios from my experience - with dos & don'ts
How to Create a Successful UX Mentorship Program - In 7 easy steps, with exercises
Building Your Personal Brand as a UX Leader - Embracing Unconventional Wisdom to Lead with Authenticity
⬇️ Corporate survivor
How to crush it among layoff rumors - 4 strategies to secure your position and advance your career
How do I build real career security in a field that keeps reinventing itself and cutting people like me? - UX feels disposable
The Do-More-With-Less Trap (The Silent Career Killer #23)
The surprising truth about office politics you need to know - Should you play the game or stay above it?
Suffocating Oversight - 10 tactics for pushing back against UX micromanagement
⬇️ High-achiever in a low-recognition org
"There's No Room Right Now" | How to structure your own growth path in a flat org (The Silent Career Killer #37)
"How do I grow when my manager keeps praising me… but never gives me opportunities?" - You're being praised into stagnation
The Praise Trap (The Silent Career Killer #38)
Stuck in your role? Here's how to grow anyway - Stories of UXers who expanded their impact without changing titles
How to Make Career Moves with Clarity and Confidence in 2025 - The art of knowing when to move on
This Master List is here to give you clarity, fast.
BUT if you're facing a career decision that feels too tangled, political, or high-stakes for a self-serve guide—
🚨 I offer a very limited number of 1:1 coaching sessions each month.
Single session – $500
A focused 60-minute session to get clear, get unstuck, and know your next move.
What my mentees have said:
If you're serious about breaking free from the UX/product design "career autopilot", you’re in the right place.
Let me cut through the BS: most UXers are stuck in the same rut because they’re following the script somebody else handed them.
"Work on your portfolio", "Learn the latest tool," "Get another certification..." they were told..
❌ But here’s the truth nobody tells you: career growth was never about just adding MORE skills or certifications!
✅ The true UX career success is about knowing how to use your NATURAL STRENGTHS to flip the script in your favor, become more STRATEGIC in your moves and build TRUST and INFLUENCE with decision makers.
For over 25 years, I've been where you are - and beyond. I’ve moved from "maker" to "manager"... and back again... and forth again! Because it made sense to me and my goals at the time of each change. I am proof that your career path doesn’t need to be linear to be successful! It needs to be aligned with YOUR strengths, adaptable to YOUR goals, and meaningful to YOU.
I’ve also coached over 2,000 UXers - resulting in promotions, raises and roles at Amazon, Meta, Spotify, and other big name companies.
If that's what YOU want, I'll help you get there.
But not everybody wants (or needs) the same things in life.
I'll help you better understand what drives YOU, what makes YOU feel fulfilled and happy.
YOUR career trajectory is uniquely YOURS.
As your career acceleration coach, I’m not here to rehash the same tired advice that - in theory - can apply to everyone.
You are not everyone! You are YOU!
I’m here to help you learn how to lean into your natural strengths, see the gaps you’re blind to, and build YOUR career strategy for doing what actually will get results - for YOU.
We’ll dive into YOUR goals, YOUR strengths, and the roadblocks YOU'RE facing.
We’ll map out a plan that cuts out the fluff and gets you moving.
I’ll be your go-to sounding board every step of the way.
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Ready to stop coasting and start climbing?
Let’s do this. 🚀
🆕 3-Session Bundle – $1250 total
Designed for experienced UXers who feel stuck and want a clear, high-leverage path forward.
Here's what we cover ↴
👉 Session 1: Positioning + Strength Mapping
→ Identify your market-ready strengths
→ Live feedback on your positioning and narrative
→ Define your “next level” and where you should aim
👉 Session 2: Resume, LinkedIn, and Application Strategy
→ Full audit of your materials
→ Rewrite titles, bullets, structure, and tone for your goals
→ Learn tactics to stand out when applying
👉 Session 3: Visibility, Influence, and Promotion Plan
→ Map your next 90 days for visibility and leadership
→ Get scripts for stakeholder convos or interviews
→ Optional: Use this session to prep for a role or offer
You’ll walk away with sharper positioning, stronger materials, and a practical, personal strategy.
Questions?
DM me on Substack or email uxmentrodiaries@gmail.com