The roadmap to your next promotion (no overworking required!) ✨


Hey Reader,

Guess what?! The UX Outloud Research Crit series is officially back.

And this pause? It was very intentional. I took time to step back and really listen to what this community has been navigating.

Layoffs. Reorgs. Shifting expectations. “Do more with less” energy.

And I kept hearing the same thing from folks,“I’m working hard… but I don’t know what actually leads to a promotion anymore.”

So we’re starting off with a theme that feels especially important right now:

Decoding performance reviews:

the roadmap to your next promotion

đź—“ March 11 at 5 PM PST

Because here’s the truth:

Career progression is no longer linear or clearly defined.

Roles evolve quickly. Expectations shift. Criteria changes. And simply “doing the work” is not enough if you don’t understand how your impact is being evaluated.

Performance reviews are not just summaries. They are signals.

Signals about:​
• What your manager actually values
• What behaviors are rewarded
• How decisions about promotions are being made
• Where you are strong
• Where perception might not match your effort

If you don’t know how to read those signals, you end up guessing. And guessing leads to overworking. Overworking leads to burnout. And the craziest worst part is that burnout does not guarantee promotion. Wild right?! I know.

In this Research Crit, we’re going to slow it down and unpack this strategically.

We’ll walk through:

đź§  How to read between the lines of performance feedback
đź§  What promotion signals actually look like in practice
đź§  How to connect your research impact to growth expectations
đź§  How to turn review conversations into a clear, actionable roadmap

This is not about proving yourself over and over again. It’s about clarity. It’s about alignment. It’s about learning how to advocate for your growth in a way that is strategic and sustainable.

By the end of this session, you should be able to answer:

🔹 What level am I truly operating at?

🔹 What does my manager care about most?

🔹 What gap actually matters for promotion?

🔹 What conversations do I need to initiate next?

If you are a UX researcher who wants to feel more grounded, confident, and intentional about your next step, I would love for you to be in the room.

Inside every Research Crit you can also:

​
âś… Share your work in progress and get actionable feedback
✅ Learn from others’ examples and questions
âś… Build confidence in your career story
âś… Expand your network with people who truly get it

Let’s turn your next review into a roadmap instead of a great mystery.

See you on March 11 friends!

đź’›

​
All the best,

Eniola Abioye

​
​UXR Career Coach and Founder, UX Outloud

PS: Forward to a friend who's in the UXR space, sharing is caring!

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Eniola Abioye, UXR Career Coach | UX Outloud

YOU'RE A PROFESSIONAL OR ACADEMIC RESEARCHER who has experience in people-focused work that you'd like to apply to a career in UX Research; however you don't know how to stand out and successfully pivot. You've come to the right place! My name is Eniola Abioye; I am a UXR Career Coach and I help customer-centered professionals position their current skills to transition into tech UXR roles. I founded UX Outloud to work directly with people who have experience doing user research but have never had the title on their resume. I guide researchers in building a strong narrative and employing an 8-step strategy in starting their UXR careers. My speciality is constructing tailored transition strategies taking into account the experience you have to leverage and the niche that are targeting for your next role. I take a hands-on approach to revamping your professional materials including: 📢 A resume that emphasizes your work and organizational impact 📢 A LinkedIn profile that demonstrates your value to UX hiring managers and recruiters 📢 A UXR portfolio that details your strategic research approach and case studies that showcase your experience I also work as a Lead UX Researcher and UXR Manager at Meta - and my background happens to be in biology and healthcare. Take it from me, someone who doesn't have the most "traditional" UXR background, you can apply people research skills from any and every industry and niche to UX. It all comes down to creating a strong narrative and making your skillset crystal clear. If you're ready to stop applying to UXR roles endlessly online and actually gain traction landing interviews and job offers, apply to work with me at bit.ly/uxrcareeraccelerator! Tell me about your background and what you're looking for in your next career move. I'm happy to answer any questions you have and figure out if we're a good fit on a free consultation call. 💚 Tap the "subscribe" button to hear tips and strategies for pivoting into UXR! On a personal tip, I was born, raised and educated in the Bay Area. I absolutely love traveling and adventures of any kind. Luckily UX Research has taken me all around the world and I'm documenting my journey as I go!

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