đ€« The Silent Career Killer #31
Youâre skilled, experienced, and adaptable. So why are you still invisible? | Unmasking 50 hidden threats to your UX career | part 31 of 50
đ© The Trap
Youâve worn every UX hat.
Strategy. Research. Content. IA. Flows. Facilitation.
Youâre the one who can drop into any project and quickly fill the gap.
But that same flexibility is starting to backfire.
Youâre not getting the visibility, recognition, or opportunities you hoped would come with experience.
Youâre doing good work (frequently even critical work) but still feel⊠forgettable.
Youâre not too junior.
Youâre too unclear.
Why Itâs a Problem (And Why It Sneaks Up on You)
On paper, being a generalist sounds like a strength, and IT IS!
But in real-world orgs, here's what often happens âŽ
1. Youâre hard to place.
People canât advocate for you or promote you if they donât know what to lean on you for.
Hiring managers and stakeholders need a mental shortcut.
If they canât summarize what youâre great at, they move on to someone they can. Sad, I know, but we can fix that!
2. You become the âgap fillerâ instead of the owner.
Instead of being seen as the driver of an initiative, you get slotted into whateverâs missing.
That makes your work essential, but invisible.
3. Youâre less âreferableâ.
People recommend based on clear value.
âI know someone whoâs great at aligning teams in messy handoffsâ = referable.
âShe can do a bit of everythingâ = vague and forgettable.
4. Your career story may sound scattered.
Even if your experience has depth, without a throughline it can read as unfocused.
Especially to people outside UX, it can look like you just bounced around.