Why Your Experience Isn’t Enough to Get You Hired or Promoted
And What Actually Moves the Needle Mid-Career
There’s a difference between being good at your job and being seen as the person for the next one.
That gap?
It’s where most mid-career professionals stall out.
You’ve stacked years of solid experience. You’ve built teams, delivered results, maybe even outperformed your title.
But the callbacks aren’t coming. The promotions are going to someone else.
It’s frustrating and confusing.
Because on paper, you’ve done everything right.
But experience alone isn’t the differentiator you think it is.
😖 The Problem
The workplace loves to tell the story:
“Put your head down. Work hard. The results will speak for themselves.”
But at a certain point — they don’t.
Not because you’re not doing great work, but because you’ve stopped being intentional about how you’re positioned.
Here’s what I see with my clients all the time:
They assume tenure equals trust.
They lean on titles instead of telling the story of transformation.
They’re waiting for someone else to “see their potential.”
The result?
Strong candidates get passed over for flashier ones.
Smart professionals get told to “just keep doing what you’re doing.”
And folks with 10–15 years of meaningful experience start doubting their next move.
It’s not a skills problem. It’s a story and strategy problem.
Help a Sam out: If this helpful, tap the ❤️ to let me know!
💡 Why I Got Passed Over for Management Again and Again
Very early in my career, I knew I wanted to be a people leader.
I wanted to be the captain of the ship — and I wanted it bad.
And honestly?
I was confident I could do it and be wildly successful.
I checked (what I thought were) all the right boxes:
I was a top performer, I had strong relationships across the team, I mentored others, and I consistently got great feedback from my managers.
But someone else got the team lead job.
Then it happened again.
And again.
At the time, I couldn’t see what the issue was.
Now? It’s crystal clear.
I was assuming that being a high performer at my current level was enough for others to recognize me as the obvious candidate.
What I missed was this: the next level required different results than I was currently delivering.
And I wasn’t articulating how I could — and would — deliver those results.
I was ignoring what it actually takes to be successful in the role I wanted.
The people who were good at articulating what they’d bring to the next role?
They painted a clear picture.
They helped hiring managers see them in the seat.
And they got the jobs over me.
If I could go back and give my early-career self a piece of advice, it would be this:
Get clear on your goal. Then get even clearer on what success looks like when you’ve arrived.
And from there — tell the whole story.
Draw the line between where you are and what you’ll make happen next.
That’s what moves people forward.
📋 The Play to Run:
If you want to move up or land your next right-fit role, you need to stop leading with history and start signaling trajectory.
Here’s what I coach my clients to do, and what you can start today:
Tell the future story of your career — not just the past.
Experience shows what you’ve done. But hiring managers and execs are asking:
“What will this person do here, next, and with us?”So make it clear.
Frame your wins in terms of the strategic value you’re known for — and where you’re headed. For example:
❌“Led a team of 12 in launching new products.”
✔️“Known for building cross-functional teams that deliver product launches 2x faster — now focused on scaling that skillset inside orgs shifting from startup to enterprise.”Exact same project and experience, different story.
Build positioning that says 'next-level fit.'
Don’t just show that you’ve done the job — show that you’re ready for the next one.Update your resume, LinkedIn, and interview language to match the level you want. That means:
▪️Framing your work in terms of business problems solved
▪️Using language that reflects strategic ownership, not task execution
▪️Speaking like a peer to the people hiring you
Stop hoping someone sees your potential. Start owning your narrative.
If you’re not controlling the narrative, you’re being cast in someone else’s.Rework your story so it positions you as the solution to today’s problems — not just a record of past wins.
Show them how you are the solution to their problems.
🏅 Get In the Game This Week
Pull up your resume, LinkedIn profile, or even your internal performance summary.
Circle anything that only talks about what you did.
Rewrite at least 3 bullets to speak to the impact and what you're ready for next.
What does that mean? Reframe on outcomes:
❌ I led the new hire onboarding project.
✔️ I drove new hire time to effectiveness down by 2 weeks by revitalizing the new hire onboarding program with cross-functional collaboration, strategic project management, and influencing without authority.
Then ask yourself:
Would a hiring manager or exec know what to do with me — and where I fit next?
If not, it’s time to adjust the signal you’re sending.
We’re not here to drift. We’re here to lead.
And leadership starts with showing up as the person who already sees what’s next — not just what’s been.
🚨 Ready to stop hoping your experience will speak for itself?
The Career Reboot Bootcamp is where we reposition your strengths, reframe your story, and rebuild your momentum — with strategy, structure, and a coach in your corner.
✅ Small cohort.
✅ Clear outcomes.
✅ A playbook that actually gets you hired or promoted.
Join the next cohort and start showing up like the obvious next hire.
Spots are limited — save yours now.
🔐 For Paid Subscribers:
✅ Need help doing turning your experience into clear future value? The The Experience Reframer Worksheet will walk you through it step-by-step. Starting Lineup members get access for free!
🔑 Unlocked at the bottom of this post - scroll down to access.
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💌 Know someone stuck in the same loop? Send this their way.
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