Career Connection: Make Your Work Count: How to Close the Visibility Gap for Career Growth

Being good at your job isn’t always enough to get promoted. You might exceed expectations, meet every deadline, and consistently deliver solid work, but still get overlooked. In decades past, there was a long-standing belief that hard work naturally led to career advancement. Promotions typically followed an employee’s potential and company loyalty, with clear paths for growth, and employers invested in training, mentoring, and developing people for future roles.

That dynamic has shifted significantly with corporate priorities. Companies are leaner, hierarchies are flatter, technology changes faster, remote work adds competition, and external hires are increasingly relied on to fill specialized roles. Additionally, shareholder demands and profit-driven goals have fueled cost-cutting at the expense of long-term employee growth. Today, you can no longer assume that hard work alone will move you up. You have to own your growth, advocate for yourself, and make your impact visible to the people who influence promotions and career decisions.

Know the path to promotion. Before you can position yourself for growth, you need to know what “growth” actually looks like in your organization. Promotions often follow formal or informal criteria, so start by researching the skills, experiences, and responsibilities expected at the next level. Compare them to your current role...