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Today I’m analysing the situation of Tom.
Tom reached out about joining my Creative Career Level Up programme after a year of job hunting that keeps ending the same way.
He works in a two-person marketing team, so he's been running social, content, events and publications almost single-handedly, while still carrying the title of marketing assistant.
He's reaching final rounds for marketing executive roles, then hearing he's "overqualified" or that there isn't budget for someone with his skills. Meanwhile, he's been told he needs a qualification before he can step up.
"I'm doing an exec's job, but my title says assistant, and no one can see past it."
What's the challenge?
Tom's experience and job title tell two different stories, so hiring managers don't know where to place him. And he's so used to doing everything that in interviews he tries to talk about everything, and his best examples get lost.
How can he move forward?
Tom needs to close the gap between his title and his experience, target the roles where his skills are a genuine fit, and get far more precise about how he tells his story.
My advice
- Fix the title where you are
Tom has been doing executive-level work for two years. Asking for the title to match isn't unreasonable, and in a team of two, the "you need a qualification first" rule sounds more like an excuse than a real policy. Even without a pay rise, the right title makes the next move much easier to land.
- Aim at the right size of company
An assistant in a team of two is doing a very different job to an assistant in a team of thirty. An exec role in a bigger team is where Tom will stop hearing "overqualified", because he'll be learning new skills, like working within a larger team, rather than repeating what he already does. It also means he isn't carrying everything alone, which matters after two years of burnout.
- Pick the example that answers their problem
Tom has so much to talk about that he gets overwhelmed and waffles. He needs a tight set of stories chosen for each role, including one that shows how his thinking transfers across platforms, so he can shut down the "but you haven't used X" worry before it becomes a reason to say no.
If Tom's story sounds familiar, and you know you're doing more than your title says, I'd love to help.
Check out more details, including testimonials, on our website here.
Or use the link below to find out whether the Creative Career Level Up is the right fit for you.
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