A few weeks ago, I received a call from someone I care about—smart, capable, and the kind of person every organization quietly depends on. The conversation didn’t begin with anger. It began with fatigue.

“There’s a role opening up,” they told me. “I think I’m ready, but no one has asked me about it.”

This wasn’t the first time they had felt this way. They had been passed over before.

This person felt like they were doing all the right things: working hard, successful, advancing the organization with new initiatives. They knew they were ready for a new challenge.

Timing is Everything

They called me a week before the announcement. The rumor was out there; the job was going to someone else. My short and probably harsh response was, “I’m afraid you’ve come for advice too late.” The wheels were in motion. They wanted advice about how to let it be known that they wanted the job.  The problem is…the horse was already out of the barn. Decisions like these are often shaped long before a role is formally announced. By the time the process looks public, much of the thinking has already happened.

He was asking himself, “Should I be mad that they aren’t looking at me?” He was feeling unnoticed, ‘How can they not see all the good am I doing?’ and asking me: “Do you think it’s wrong that they are passing me up?” Yes, you can be mad or disappointed that your organization isn’t promoting you, but the truth of the matter is:

You have to put your hand up for any opportunity you want.

Nobody is going to flop it down in front of you like a goose that lays golden eggs. Leaders love that you are a hard worker. They do value you. They need you in your position. A promotion that fills one hole creates another one for them, so they are thinking, “How can I solve one problem without creating another one?”

Eliminate Guessing Games

I have experienced this from the other side. Years ago, after making a promotion decision, an employee approached me upset that they hadn’t been considered. They felt overlooked and undervalued. As they spoke, I realized something uncomfortable: I had never known they wanted the role. They had assumed their ambition was obvious, while I had interpreted their silence as contentment. Their anger blindsided me.

How To Get Noticed

It’s your job to network. It’s your job to let your goals be known to your employer or your supervisor. What are your future career aspirations? They need to know--not the ones you have for next week or next month, but where you want to be 5 years from now and 10 years from now. Let people know that you want opportunities to stretch and grow.

An Opportunity to Grow Your Confidence

In my work, I often describe confidence as a skill rather than a trait. It’s not something you either have or lack, and it doesn’t arrive fully formed. It’s something that’s built through practice, often in moments that feel uncomfortable. One of the most misunderstood practices of confidence is the willingness to raise your hand before certainty arrives.

If you’re not feeling bold, signalling your supervisor can be as simple as asking for advice instead of asking for the next job opening. Schedule a coffee and ask your supervisor how to get to the next level. If you don’t feel prepared, try asking for professional development.

 Getting noticed starts with:

• putting your hand up and taking on a project,
• joining a committee,
• stepping up to a role on a regional or nation-wide trade organization,
• enrolling in a certificate or graduate degree program, or
• going for a secondment in a temporary role.

It’s NEVER just staying quiet and working harder that gets you a promotion. Doing your job well is expected and appreciated as outlined in your contract. To get the next opportunity, you’ll need to audition and apply—for internal roles that looks just a little different from how you approach an external listing. You should still be dressing the part, demonstrating that you have untapped capacity, networking and letting folks know you want it.

What’s Holding You Back?

What holds people back is not a lack of ambition or ability. It’s fear that disguises itself as patience--fear of being perceived as overly ambitious or fear of being told you’re not ready.

The truth is that no one ever feels fully ready for a role that stretches them. Advocating for yourself is not arrogance. It’s taking responsibility. Confidence is a skill, and raising your hand is one of the ways that skill is practiced. Confidence begins when you stop waiting to be chosen and instead say that you are interested in growing, and you are willing to do the work required to get there.

That’s not egotistical. It’s the skill of self-confidence, practiced over time.