143: UX Hiring Insights: Why It Can Take 12 Weeks to Fill UX Roles with Heather Cassar, VP of People)

Career Strategy Podcast with Sarah Doody | UX, Product Design, UX Research

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.

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.

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