"I know I can do the job... I just don't know how to convince them."

Today I'm analysing the situation of Naomi.

Naomi reached out about joining my Creative Career Level Up programme. She’s stuck in her career and doesn’t know how to move forward without some help. 

Naomi is trusted by her leaders, taking on work beyond her current job title. And everyone internally agrees she's ready for more responsibility.

The problem is, she keeps getting promised promotions that never come. 

After waiting patiently, she's decided it's time to look elsewhere.

She'd love to move into a client-side role. Partly for the salary, but also because she wants to own projects from beginning to end instead of being brought in halfway through.

As we spoke, though, something else caught my attention.

Every time Naomi talked about the roles she wanted, she'd immediately explain why she might not be qualified enough.

"I don't have exactly the right experience."

Then she told me she'd been speaking to people already working in those roles. And every one of them had told her the same thing.

"You already have the skills."

That really stuck with me.

Sometimes the biggest thing standing between us and the career we're capable of isn't experience. It's knowing how to sell that experience so other people can understand your value. 

It’s something I’m going to cover extensively in next week's webinar - because I know too many people that are stuck in their careers, not because of their skills, but because they can’t sell the skills they already have. 

What's the challenge?

Naomi doesn't have a skills problem. She has a positioning problem.

She's looking at everything she hasn't done instead of recognising the value of everything she has. 

When you're making a career pivot, that's an easy trap to fall into.

How can she move forward?

Before sending applications, Naomi needs a strategy.

She needs to understand which companies value her experience, which roles genuinely suit her background, and, most importantly, how to communicate that value with confidence.

That's what turns a difficult career move into a realistic one.

My advice

Learn to speak their language

Changing industries is a bit like speaking the same language with different dialects. Your experience already has value. You just need to explain it in a way hiring managers immediately understand.

Stop focusing on what's missing

Most people making a career move spend their time looking at the 20% they haven't done. Hiring managers are often far more interested in the other 80%. Don't overlook the experience you've already built.

Remember what you're really working towards

This isn't just about getting a new job. It's about building the career you're capable of achieving. Don’t sell yourself short when you already have everything you need to move forward. 

If Naomi's story feels familiar, I'd love you to join me at my free webinar next week.

I'll be sharing why the next three months are so important, why waiting for recruiters is the wrong strategy, how to position yourself so you stand out from hundreds of other candidates, and I'll be doing a live CV critique where I'll show you the biggest mistakes I see every week and how to fix them.

Because this isn't just about getting your next job, it's about building the career you're capable of achieving.

I'd love to see you there.

https://www.creativecareerlab.com/registration-page-2