There's a moment in my career I still think about.
A colleague was promoted, and I wasn't. We were doing similar work. I went to my manager and asked why, and his answer wasn't clear.
- You're not strategic enough.
- You're not visible enough.
- You're not ready.
At the time, I was crushed. But looking back, I can see exactly why it happened. I was focused solely on execution, not strategy. On my team, not on building relationships across the organization. I wasn't thinking about who should know me and what I do.
In this solo episode, I share what I learned from being passed over, what I wish I'd known earlier, and the three things that actually moved my career forward once I stopped waiting to be noticed.
What I cover:
- Why imposter syndrome is the real reason we don't advocate for ourselves, and how to act anyway
- The reframe that changed everything for me: visibility isn't bragging, it's professional responsibility
- How to share your career aspirations with your manager, even when it feels uncomfortable
- Why taking the initiative without being asked changes how people see you
- The story of the sponsor who advocated for me while I was on maternity leave, and what it taught me about building genuine relationships
This is the companion episode to my conversation with Lalitha Madhugundu, Senior Engineering Manager at Atlassian. Listen to that episode first for the full picture: ”Your Work Won't Speak for Itself: What Actually Gets You Promoted.”
If you've ever felt like you're doing everything right but somehow getting overlooked, this episode is for you.
Connect with me:Website: https://limorbergman.comPodcast: https://limorbergman.com/podcast/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/limorbergman/Substack: https://limorbergman.substack.com