How to Show Up as Yourself: Ashley Bloom’s Job Search Success Story

Meet Ashley Bloom, a user experience (UX) researcher with ResMed. In this job search success story, Ashley shares how her passion for healthcare and the power of mentorship helped her navigate a competitive job market and make a meaningful impact on user experience.

What do you do for a career? Who do you work for?

I’m a user experience researcher for a company called ResMed. In their own words, “At ResMed, we pioneer innovative solutions that treat and keep people out of the hospital, empowering them to live healthier, higher-quality lives. We’ve improved over 165 million lives, and our goal is to improve 250 million lives in out-of-hospital healthcare in 2025.” ResMed provides medical devices and digital solutions that address the needs of people with sleep apnea, COPD, and other chronic conditions.

I’ve always been drawn to the healthcare space because I believe health is a human right. It’s an inherently complex system with various pain points. So it’s an absolute joy to work for a company that is making a tangible and positive impact on so many lives across the U.S. and the globe. 

What do you like best about your career?

What I enjoy most about being a user experience researcher is that I’m able to leverage my innate curiosity, empathy, and critical thinking skills to uncover pain points for users of physical products and digital technologies. It is such a delight to come to work every day knowing that I have the ability to champion the voice of those people who interact with a product or service. My goal is always to work towards experiences that validate people and their needs and desires. 

What resources have helped you in your career and your job searches? Are there specific tools or tactics that have contributed to your success?

When considering helpful resources, the first thing that came to my mind were the books I’ve read about the UX research craft or conferences I’ve attended to uplevel my skills. Those things have absolutely been a component of my growth and career success. But more than books, webinars, and conferences, the most valuable resource in my career has been other people.

It was the VP of Product at another healthcare company who introduced me to the world of user experience, saw the skills that I had to bring to the table, and invited me to join her team as the first UX researcher. It was colleagues on that team who taught me so much; I wouldn’t be the researcher that I am today without their support, guidance, and empowerment. The most valuable resource for me is the people who I’ve consistently found myself surrounded by – brilliant, compassionate people who simply want to make the world a better place.

Throughout your career, what obstacles have you encountered when doing a job search, and how did you overcome them?

Depending on what field you’re in, the job market has not been an easy one to navigate lately. In my most recent job search, I faced the obstacle of simply competing against hundreds of qualified candidates for the same position. What helped me most to combat the discouragement was to start a new daily practice that I’ve continued through the job search and into stable employment, which is to wake up and write a letter to myself from unconditional love. 

Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, the practice of slowing down and trying to write yourself a letter where you get to say to yourself everything that you’d hope a loving voice would say to you has been truly transformational for me. I have a harsh inner critic, so this practice allows me to combat that voice in my head with one that is tender and gentle and so affirming. When the going gets tough, it’s crucial to find yourself grounded in your inherent worth, employment aside. I was inspired to start writing these letters by Elizabeth Gilbert, who has a Substack called Letters from Love. 

Beyond the emotional resources that I cultivated during the challenging job search, on a more practical note, I made sure that my job search was very well organized. I created a really robust spreadsheet where I tracked all of the jobs that I applied for, including the company, role, compensation, job description, notes, who the hiring manager was, and whether or not I had followed up with them after applying. 

What piece of advice would you give to job seekers or professionals trying to advance in their careers?

My advice to job seekers or professionals trying to advance in their careers is to get really clear on a few things: who you are, what you have to offer, what you’re looking for in your next role, and how you might get there. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed, lost, or untethered during those moments of transition in our careers and lives, so taking the time to slow down and reflect on the answer to those questions is critical. And if a task feels too challenging, you can always break it up into smaller and smaller pieces until you feel something shift inside you that says, “Okay, I can do that.” 

Always remember, “Nothing is stronger than a small hope that doesn’t give up.” (Matt Haig, The Comfort Book, p. 101). One baby step at a time can lead to a career and a life of your dreams. And I have to end by saying that you’re valued and loved just as you are, regardless of where you are on your career journey, simply because you exist. 

Everyone’s job search story is different, but each individual story can inspire and empower others who are on their own unique path. We love to hear how our readers have found rewarding careers in Portland, and we want to share these stories with you to inspire you in your job search and to help us all better understand the local job market.