72. The UX Job Market Rollercoaster with Amy Santee

Is the UX job market as dire as it seems?

Today’s conversation hits close to home for many in the UX community. The job market, as it stands, can only be described as “challenging.”

My guest, Amy Santee, a career strategist and coach, sheds light on the current turbulence in the UX job market. We dissect the causes behind the turbulence, from economic pressures to technological shifts, and the impact of layoffs on both new designers and seasoned professionals.

Amy shared the staggering estimate that over half a million tech workers, including UX roles, have been laid off since mid-2022 – impacting big tech companies as well as contractors and employees everywhere. The reasons for layoffs are often vague and unhelpful.

Today, we explore the underlying factors contributing to the current state, including the role of AI, economic pressures, and the reality of job scarcity for both new designers and seasoned professionals in the field.

Topics:
• 12:48 – Facing reality
• 17:18 – The reasons why people are getting laid off
• 25:06 – We can’t do anything about the layoffs, but we can control how we react
• 27:53 – Predictions about the job market
• 33:16 – Amy’s take on other predictions
• 38:33 – Survival strategies for people still employed
• 41:41 – The grief of a layoff
• 51:01 – The future from the new UXers perspective
• 52:53 – for new UXers- what is your timeline and your runway
• 59:42 – On unionizing

Helpful Links:
• Connect with Amy on LinkedIn
• Amy Santee Coaching
• What is Wrong With Hiring Podcast?
• What the heck is going on with the UX job market?

Amy Santee
Career Strategist & Coach for UX Professionals

About Amy

Amy Santee is a Career Strategist and Coach for UX professionals who want to design their careers with intention and bring their good to the world. She has partnered with hundreds of people to implement a practice of self-research, self-advocacy, and strategy, so they have the tools to navigate the professional world with courage and confidence. Prior to coaching, Amy built a career as a UX researcher for product development and strategy. She is a writer and speaker, but you may know Amy from classics like “The Tale of the Cursed Prototype” and the What is Wrong With Hiring podcast. Learn more at amysantee.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Connect with Amy on LinkedIn

—

Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.

If you haven’t already, sign up for our email list. We won’t spam you. Pinky swear.

• Get a FREE audiobook AND support the show
• Support the show on Patreon
• Check out show transcripts
• Check out our website
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Subscribe on Stitcher