Why Following Career Advice Keeps You Stuck (And What to Do Instead)
I’ve spent over 30 years in government, including 20 years in leadership roles responsible for hiring, promotions, and team development.
I’ve seen firsthand how advancement decisions are really made—and the official criteria often look very different from the real ones.
Most career advice fails the people who need it most.
Not because they’re doing it wrong.
But because it assumes the system is neutral.
It isn’t.
The rules of advancement are often unwritten and unevenly applied.
They shift depending on who you are, who knows you, and whether decision-makers can see themselves in your story.
When Following Advice Keeps You Stuck
Your career feels stalled, so you do what you’re told: work harder, stay professional, trust the process.
And yet the goalposts keep moving.
The promotion you were aiming for suddenly requires a different kind of experience.
The leadership opportunity goes to someone less qualified — but more “ready.”
Your contributions are praised in the moment but forgotten when decisions are made.
It starts to feel like running on a treadmill that keeps speeding up—while everyone insists the pace is reasonable.
You’re exhausted, but you’re not getting anywhere. And when you point it out, you’re told to be more patient, more strategic… more something.
The problem isn’t you.
It’s following advice designed for a system that doesn’t operate the way it claims to.
The Truth About Career Growth
Real career growth doesn’t come from playing by someone else’s script.
It comes from knowing how to position yourself for opportunity, even when the rules aren’t clearly stated. Here’s what really makes the difference:
1. Influence and Visibility
Your work doesn’t speak for itself—you have to translate it. Excellence in execution doesn’t automatically reach the people who make decisions.
Frame your results in terms of business impact: revenue, efficiency, risk mitigation, or strategic priorities.
Be in the rooms where decisions happen, not just where work gets done.
Build relationships with decision-makers beyond your manager.
Influence grows when you solve problems that matter to leaders without being asked. When you consistently make their jobs easier, you move from being a capable employee to someone they notice when opportunities arise.
2. Sponsorship vs. Mentorship
Mentors give advice. Sponsors give opportunities—and they’re not the same.
A sponsor advocates for you when you’re not in the room—they put your name forward, recommend you for stretch assignments, and back your promotion. Mentorship alone won’t accelerate your trajectory.
Sponsorship is earned:
Deliver visible work that matters to senior leaders.
Understand what matters to them and align your contributions.
Build multiple sponsors across functions and levels to avoid dependency on one person.
When leaders see their success reflected in yours, they invest in your advancement.
3. Demonstrating Leadership
Leadership isn’t a title—it’s what you do before you have one.
Take ownership of problems no one asked you to solve.
Make others successful, not just yourself.
Step up in moments of ambiguity, high stakes, or conflict.
True leaders multiply the effectiveness of their teams. They act in ways that make decision-makers trust their judgment and ability to lead. Demonstrating leadership before it’s formally granted makes you impossible to overlook.
The Shift in Mindset
Job searching isn’t a numbers game — it’s a targeting exercise.
You’re not trying to win in every room. You’re looking for rooms where your background is recognized as leadership from the start, not something that needs defending. Where interviews feel less like proving yourself and more like exploring mutual fit.
Put your energy where green flags appear: where conversations begin with understanding, differences are treated as assets, and complexity is acknowledged rather than avoided.
That’s not settling.
That’s strategy.
This is how you stop spinning your wheels and start moving toward opportunities where you won’t just get hired—you’ll have the conditions to lead and grow.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you’re ready to invest in your career and figure out your next move, let’s talk. In my private and group coaching programs for women of colour, we focus on knowing your value and leveraging it to position yourself for new opportunities like promotions, career pivots and expanding your influence.
Schedule a free discovery session here to see how we can work together.
