Expanding and Evolving Beyond Your UX Research Career

Uncertainty, entrepreneurship, and choosing courage

Author

Amy Santee
March 13, 2025

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It's been a tough couple of years for UX researchers, and many are considering pivoting their careers within and beyond tech and design.

Leadership coach Tatiana Vlahovic reminds us that researchers have many marketable skills that can be applied in other contexts and roles. Professional and personal inflection points present opportunities for researchers to expand and evolve their careers. Tune in to the episode or check out the transcript.

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The most important business asset a freelance researcher needs to land clients is a compelling project proposal that immediately shows you’re the best fit for their needs.

Grab a copy of the exact template I used in my UX consulting days to successfully land 5-figure research projects with Lowe's, General Motors, Dexcom, Vetsource, Hill's, Fujitsu, The City of Portland, and more.

Don’t forget to use your subscriber discount code—NEWSYOUCANUSE—for 25% off!

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Many of us are standing at an undefined fork in the road, dealing with an intense uncertainty unlike anything we've faced before as individuals and communities. So how do we find our footing?

At the next Confetti Q&A panel, we'll explore the universal experience of uncertainty and how we can navigate this journey with intention and grace.

Join me, Abby Covert, Jasmine Ibrahim, Tarryn Lambert, and Sahar Chung for a discussion of embracing uncertainty in our professional and personal lives. We will each share perspectives on what uncertainty means and how it shows up in our lives, how our relationship with uncertainty evolves over time, and how we find agency and impact within a rapidly changing world. Register here.

Marketing image: Dark background with text: magine betting on yourself and creating a business that genuinely inspires you. Embark on a 3 month group coaching experience that will help you overcome self-doubt, build your entrepreneurial mindset, and develop a concrete plan to launch and grow your business.

Considering hanging out your own shingle? Join Choose Courage, an intimate group of like-minded individuals who are betting on themselves and their entrepreneurial dreams with confidence and clarity.

Vivianne Castillo’s Choose Courage is designed for leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries who are ready to break free from outdated norms and build workplaces, experiences, and businesses where people, creativity and courage come first.

Thanks for being here!

I'd love to hear from you—send me your comments, questions, feedback, or requests by replying to this email.

If you find this newsletter helpful, please support my work! ☕️

Stay true to yourself,
Amy

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P.S. Want to explore working with me on your UX job search, career goals, and workplace challenges? Check out my offerings, or reply to this email and let me know what I can help with! ✨

Client testimonial: Amy helped me revise my case study presentation for UX research job interviews. I was ready to throw the whole thing out the window, but Amy's supportive and tangible feedback helped me improve what I had. Now I look forward to showing off my work. avatar Mija Sanders, PhD UX Researcher | Anthropologist

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