I hear a lot of things from women who are feeling stuck in a career rut, and I wanted to take a moment to clear up a few of the biggest myths and misconceptions about creative career growth:

1 | You can only be successful in your career if you work all the time.

We often hear that women can’t have it all—that you’ll have to choose between career success and having time for family or other priorities.

Yes, women face unique pressures, but when you are clear on what you want to achieve, it becomes obvious which tasks truly matter—and what is just busywork, perfectionism, or FOMO.

2 | If you were good enough, you’d be chosen for that promotion.

No matter how great you are at what you do, it’s easy to stay invisible.

While you watch others get the opportunities you want, your managers might assume you’re happy doing your thing quietly.

If you’re not being chosen, it doesn’t mean you’re not good enough. You need to:

1. Make sure leadership knows about all the great work you’re already doing.
2. Let them know the promotion you want next and enlist their support in growing into it.

3 | You have to be extroverted to succeed and get noticed in your job.

It may seem like loud and vivacious people are the only ones who get noticed, but introverted people can succeed too.

To move forward, make sure decision-makers know your accomplishments. Focus on key relationships and build them one by one—coffee by coffee, phone call by phone call, collaboration by collaboration.

4 | You have to leave your job if the position you want doesn’t exist at your company.

Many women start thinking they need to leave their job to escape a career rut, but clarity on what you want often reveals a path to achieve it at your current company.

Want to be the Director of Coastal Resilience but there’s no role currently? That doesn’t mean you can’t create one if you make the case for it.

Make the case for the promotion you want. Click the image above to access my free Promotion Request Tool & Tracker.