UX Career Coaching & Pivot Strategy | Lisa Murnan
Six months ago I left corporate life after 30 years in UX to go all-in on my own work – launching Coolorado, a handmade gear and dog goods brand, and building this coaching practice. Best decision I’ve ever made. Since then I’ve been deep in the trenches with clients every week – some fighting to land UX roles in a brutal market, others figuring out whether UX is even what they want anymore.
I know what’s working right now, what isn’t, and where the real opportunities are.
The UX Market Is Weird Right Now.
The job market hasn’t just gotten harder – it’s gotten stranger. Companies are restructuring what they want from UX entirely, and AI is reshaping the work itself faster than most job postings reflect. Nobody really knows what UX looks like in three years, which is unsettling if you’re trying to build a career in it.
A lot of UXers are sitting with two questions right now: How do I even compete in this market? And: Do I even want to keep doing this? Both are valid. I work with people navigating both.
Two Paths, One Coach
Pivoting Out of UX – or Into Something Adjacent
This is the work I find most meaningful, and it’s where I’ve built real depth over the past year. If you’re anyone who’s built a career in UX or product design – designer, researcher, strategist, manager, director – and you’re wondering whether there’s something better suited to you, this is what we’ll dig into together. A different role, a different industry, a completely different direction. All fair game.
UX people are genuinely versatile. You’ve spent years understanding systems, communicating complexity, advocating for users, and translating between business and design. Those skills travel. The problem is most people can’t see past the “UX designer” label on their own resume to recognize what they’re actually good at.
What pivot coaching actually looks like:
- Figuring out what you’re genuinely good at beyond “making things look pretty” (spoiler: it’s usually a lot)
- Identifying where those skills are valued and well-compensated outside traditional UX
- Reality-checking pivot ideas before you blow up your career on a bad one
- Building a transition strategy that doesn’t require starting from zero
- Personal brand and positioning work if you’re going solo or into consulting
- The “through-line” work – finding the coherent story in your career that you can’t see because you’re too close to it (this one surprises people the most)
The Pivot
For people who want a more structured approach, I’m currently piloting The Pivot – a focused 3-session engagement designed specifically for UX professionals navigating major career transitions. It includes pre-work, a defined session arc, and a written deliverable that captures your through-line, potential directions worth exploring, and concrete next steps. If you’re curious about it, email me and I’ll share more details.
One Thing to Keep in Mind
Pivots don’t happen overnight, but they don’t have to take forever either. Most people are closer to a viable next move than they think.
Staying in UX
If you’re committed to UX and want to become as competitive as possible in a tough market, this is where we focus. I work mostly with mid-level and senior UXers and design leaders – designers, researchers, strategists, and managers who are stuck in a frustrating search, dealing with ageism or layoffs, or just can’t figure out why their materials aren’t landing.
What tactical UX coaching looks like:
- Portfolio and case study overhauls that show real business impact (not just process documentation)
- Resume strategies that get past ATS and actually get read
- Interview and presentation prep for the new reality – more business-focused, less pixel-pushing
- Collaborating on take-home design exercises – I’ll work through them with you, not just give you notes after the fact
- Case study presentation run-throughs with honest feedback
- Dealing with ageism, impostor syndrome, AI takeover, and the other landmines nobody talks about honestly
One thing that makes this work: I’m actively coaching people through real searches right now, every week. I know what interviewers are actually asking, which portfolio approaches are landing, and what’s changed in the last 6 months. This isn’t advice from 5 years ago dressed up as current wisdom.
Already landed?
Some of my most interesting work happens after the job search is over. If you’re a senior designer or design manager who just stepped into a bigger role – or you’ve been at a company for a while and keep getting “you need to think bigger” or “work on your executive presence” feedback without anyone telling you what that actually means – this is work I find genuinely engaging.
I spent 30 years inside corporate America and I know how promotion decisions actually get made, how visibility works (and doesn’t), and where the real leverage is. This isn’t accountability coaching – we’re not doing weekly check-ins so I can ask if you did your homework. It’s more like having a senior advisor in your corner who’s seen the game from the inside and will tell you the truth about what’s actually going on.
If that sounds useful, email me with a quick summary of your situation.
Why Work With Me
I won’t blow smoke: I can’t guarantee a job offer or a perfect pivot. Nobody can. But I can promise you won’t be doing this alone, and you won’t be flailing.
I’ve coached 200+ UX professionals through career decisions – job searches, pivots, layoffs, salary negotiations, and everything in between. I’ve been every kind of UXer – IC, manager, director, consultant. Agency and in-house, startups and enterprises. I’ve hired dozens of people, seen just about every resume mistake you can imagine, and spent 30 years watching what separates the people who figure it out from the ones who stay stuck.
One of the most valuable things I do is help people find the through-line in their own career – the coherent story that’s actually there but hard to see when you’re too close to your own work. Most people leave that session with a clearer sense of direction than they’ve had in years.
I use AI daily to navigate real problems. I’ll help you do the same instead of just worrying about it.
I’m not a therapist, but the conversations tend to go deeper than tactics, and that’s fine. I’ve heard a lot, I don’t judge, and nothing you tell me leaves the room. The tactical stuff (your resume, portfolio, positioning) matters, but what actually determines whether someone gets the job is usually whether they can show up as themselves under pressure. That’s the other thing we work on.
I’ll be honest with you even when it’s not what you want to hear – but I’m also genuinely rooting for you, and I’ll probably make you laugh at least once. (The occasional f-bomb may be involved.)
I’ve Reviewed Hundreds of Resumes and Portfolios. Here’s What I Think of Yours.
I’ve reviewed hundreds of resumes and portfolios from the hiring manager’s chair. These written reviews give you that same honest outside read – no scheduling, no Zoom, just clear notes on what’s working and what isn’t.
Resume + LinkedIn Review – $150. The first things hiring managers read – and where most UX job seekers quietly lose them. Order here
Portfolio Review – $150. I’ll look at your portfolio the way a hiring manager would and tell you honestly what I see. Order here
Turnaround: 2-3 business days. Any review purchase gives you $150 off your first coaching session if you book within 30 days of receiving it.
The Details
I keep my client load small by design, so I don’t do free intro calls – but here’s how it works:
- First session: $250 (60-90 minutes)
- Follow-up sessions: $200 each
- 3-session package: $550 total (saves $100, includes your first session – most people choose this)
You don’t have to decide upfront. Pay after each session, and roll into the package whenever it makes sense.
Some people just need one session to get unstuck. Others want ongoing support through a full pivot or job search. Either works.
I’ll also review materials and give quick feedback by email between sessions at no extra cost. And if after the first session you honestly feel it wasn’t worth your time, there’s no charge.
Payment: Handled securely online – I’ll send you a payment link after we confirm your session.
Location: Zoom (worldwide) or in person if you’re in the Boulder/Denver area.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m a UX designer who’s burned out and not sure if I want to stay in UX. Is that something you can help with?
Yes – this is actually one of the most common reasons people reach out. You don’t need to have a pivot destination in mind. A lot of the work is figuring out what you actually want, which requires some honest excavation before any strategy makes sense.
I’m actively interviewing and need help with a specific presentation or take-home exercise. Is that too tactical for coaching?
Not at all. I do this regularly. Come with your materials and we’ll work through them together.
I’m not a UX designer – I’m a UX researcher / content designer / product manager / [other adjacent role]. Does this apply to me?
Yes. I’ve worked with people across the spectrum of UX-adjacent roles. The coaching translates.
I’ve been in UX for 15+ years and I’m worried about ageism. Can you actually help with that?
I can, and I won’t pretend it’s not real. (I’m 57 and dealt with it for years – until I stopped working for other people and stopped caring.) But there are concrete strategies that help, and the experience that feels like a liability in some situations is genuinely an asset in others. We’ll figure out where to aim you.
What if I just want to talk through whether a pivot makes sense before committing to a full session?
Email me with a quick summary of your situation. I’ll give you an honest take on whether I think I can help, and we can go from there.
Do you work with people who want to leave UX entirely – not just pivot to adjacent roles? Yes. “What can I do besides UX” is a completely legitimate question and one I take seriously. The answer is usually more interesting than people expect.
I’m trying to break into UX from another field. Do you work with career switchers? It depends. If you have some professional experience to work with – even from adjacent fields like graphic design, research, product management, or anything involving systems thinking and communication – there’s usually plenty to build on. Where I’m less useful is with people who are truly just starting out with no professional experience yet, because the work is harder and the timeline is longer than one or two sessions can address. Not sure if you qualify? Email me a quick summary and I’ll give you a straight answer.
Someone is reaching out on behalf of a family member – a parent, spouse, or partner. Is that okay? Sure – it happens regularly. Just include a quick summary of their situation and what they’re hoping to get out of coaching. One thing worth knowing: the sessions work best when the person being coached is genuinely driving the process, so whoever I’m working with should be on board and not just humoring a well-meaning family member.
How to Book
Ready to book? Grab a time here
Not sure yet? Email me at lisamurnan@gmail.com with a quick summary of your situation and I’ll give you a straight answer on whether I think I can help.
What People Are Saying
I was one of many designers affected by the layoffs in 2025 and 2026. I reached out to Lisa because I wanted not only a competent career coach, but one who had extensive experience in the field of design. My goals were twofold: seek Lisa’s guidance on alternative career paths that I could pivot toward, and presentation/interview tips as I was still getting interview callbacks.
Lisa was incredibly thorough in her research before our first interview. Her work reflects someone who genuinely cares about her clients, and loves the design industry. We initially were going to talk about possible career path changes, but I suddenly had two job interviews fall on the same day. Lisa moved her schedule around so we could talk (and prepare) for these interviews, since they were scheduled a day before my meeting with Lisa. She also “pivoted” her own prep as our session went from talk of career pivoting to interview and presentation prep.
I am happy to say that I now have a full-time job after nearly six months of unemployment (and roughly 180 job applications filed and 20+ interviews). In this market, it takes a village to get hired. I highly recommend Lisa, not only for her extensive knowledge of the design industry and its current trends in 2026, but her empathetic, easy going demeanor. It’s easy to get discouraged in this market, but career coaches like Lisa give people who are either jobless, or are stuck in their careers a much-needed shot of hope.
– Sean McCarthy, Conversational AI Designer (April 2026)
Even with years of design experience, my final interview for a Senior AI Product Designer role felt incredibly high stakes. The pressure brought up a lot of anxiety, insecurity, and brain fog, and I knew I needed support. I found Lisa 3 days before the final round, and in one coaching session she helped me reset completely. I felt grounded, confident, and able to show up as my best self.
I got the job, and with Lisa’s support during negotiation, I also secured around $50K more in compensation.
What stood out most was how deeply she cared. Lisa helped me see my strengths clearly, position myself well, and move through the process with much more confidence and courage. I felt supported every step of the way. I highly recommend her to any designer who wants a coach who is strategic, positive, and truly invested in your success!
– Jung, Senior AI Product Designer (April 2026)
Lisa Murnan has spent 30+ years in UX – starting out as a webmaster and front-end developer in the early days of the web before moving into IA and interaction design. Her hands-on work eventually grew into leading teams, mentoring designers, and serving as UX Director at Secureworks and Sophos. She’s also worked with IBM, Bank of America, TIAA, and Ally, taught UX at Boulder Digital Arts, and wrote How to Get a UX Design Job. These days she focuses full time on two things: coaching UXers through career transitions and building Coolorado, an outdoor gear company she launched after making her own leap out of corporate life. Learn more about Lisa | LinkedIn