Get Unstuck & Get Promoted: How to find purpose at work
A few years ago, I found myself at a crossroads in my career. On paper, everything seemed fine—I was a Senior Graphic Designer at a big agency. But I'd hit the ceiling, feeling stuck and stagnant, without a clue what to do about it.
After 2020, my desires began to shift and take shape, making my current role feel tighter and less aligned with who I was becoming. I knew I didn’t want to climb the traditional ladder, nor did I want to keep doing the same old thing just for the sake of it. I wanted something more.
But I didn’t no what that “something more” looked like. So, I started seeking new job opportunities that interested me—like mentoring others and creating tools for creators.
I wasn’t even sure what role I wanted yet, but I reached out to one company simply because I admired their energy and values. That approach opened doors for me. Even though I wasn’t applying for a position, they were still curious about where I might fit and brought me in for an interview.
Getting into ‘interview mode’ is a huge effort. Not only are you collecting your best work, you’re also selling your best qualities and highest achievements. It requires self belief and dedication. And if you haven’t thought about that in a while, fill out my free career clarity questionnaire. Because without being prompted, it’s hard to get into that zone.
I had not touched my portfolio in years. Plus, my role wasn’t solely on fancy design projects either. I mostly did BAU tasks and oversaw other people’s work. But, I was pretty determined not to say stuck, so I put in the hours and dug up my best work, even adding transformations into my folio.
Nothing gets you unstuck as quickly as interviewing does. Pitching your services and why you’d be a culture-fit is an incredible experience. Even if you don’t take the job, it will inevitably boost your confidence.
I got through to the third interview, and then something weird happened. I realised I wanted to stay at my current job. I’d built great relationships, loved my team, and knew I wanted to be a team leader and manager. But that’s very hard to do in a new job if you’ve had zero experience…
So, I went back to work the next day, and had an honest conversation with my manager, sharing how I felt stuck, what I wanted to pursue, and that I was interviewing for different positions. I’d never seen the colour drain from someone’s face so quickly.
He asked me to “wait a sec—we were actually putting something together for you.”
How convenient… Jks.
I do believe him, because just a few months prior I’d solved an incredibly expensive problem for the business.
Many of us believe that time equals value—that staying in a company long enough will lead to raises and promotions. But that’s not how it works. If that’s what you believe, you’ll get the 3% and nothing more.
So, how do you get one? You’ve heard it before: “Go above and beyond.” But the only way to do that wholeheartedly is by solving problems you’re genuinely passionate about. Promotions are financial recognition for the “above and beyond” work you’re already doing. Promotions are rarely a surprise to those who get them, because they’ve been doing more than they’ve been asked for months or years.
How I solved a problem that got me promoted
I used to work at a large agency, and it ran like clockwork. It was really hard to fault. Very inspiring when comparing it to how other workplaces function. But there was this one area they missed, which really stood out to me. It stuck out to me more because I was the one dealing with the stickiness of it.
At the time, our work load was incredible. Like, mountains and mountains of work. Exhausting. We had different types of work—the cool branding stuff, and the bread and butter BAU jobs. You’d probably think we could lower our bar of excellence when it came to the BAU work—but no, we didn’t. Consistency and brand excellence was our focus. And when we hired freelancers to help us with the workload, it became harder to maintain.
My role in all of this was to oversee the design projects, make sure the work was meeting the bar, and guide them to getting it there if it didn’t. Most of my day was giving rounds and rounds of feedback to freelancers. After 6 months of owning the freelance management, I was cooked. I’d constantly hear how “all the freelancers were bad” and we’d constantly let go and hire new ones, operating out of a ‘luck’ mindset.
In my mind, I’m thinking, “well, if I was a random designer unfamiliar with this incredible nuanced brand (Google), dropped into a very process-driven environment, and expected to create as if I’d been there for 3 years—I’d struggle too!” In retaliation to their comments, and without even thinking, I said, “They just need more time to digest how things work.”
The birth an idea. A system that found our ideal freelancers and an onboarding process that got them up to scratch in 5 days. “Yes! This will save us so much time, money, headaches, and free our designers up to create their best work!”
I was so inspired, I can’t even tell you. It was birthed out of frustration and pulled together by inspiration. The motivation to pitch the idea and make it happen felt limitless. But it wasn’t easy to win voters in favour of my idea…
I presented my idea to my manager and creative direction, but, despite my conviction, reasoning, and future-savings, they didn’t want to invest the time ($) to build it. And this new idea of mine could’ve very well disrupted the golden process… So, they said no.
I went back to the way things were, still dealing with the same problems, hearing the same complaints, and ending each day unfulfilled and depleted. I’d hit ceilings before, and it was a nasty business. I did not want to go down the path of disengagement again—it’s too painful and hard to climb out of. It’s not always easy to zoom out and see it when it’s happening either, but now I had an idea. A real reason to stay and change something.
So, even though I got a “no”—I did it anyway. I fit the build into my workload over six months—and even on my own time—because I believed in it. I aligned my passions with the best interest of the people and the business. That’s not only a key to finding your purpose, it’s the key to getting a promotion.
Because that’s exactly what happened. I went from ‘Senior Graphic Designer who took care of the freelancers’ to ‘Design Manager’— a role that didn’t exist in that company prior to me getting it.
This system I built was so good at capturing talent, that we often offered full time positions to the real stand-outs. Better systems, better people, better culture.
If you can’t see what problems are worth solving in your current job, jumping to another one is only putting a band aid on the issue. The benefit to staying is that you have credibility, people’s trust, and you understand the nuances of the business. Your ideas are worth something, even if no one else sees it but you. In saying that, sometimes it really is time to move on—if that feels like you, check out my ‘It’s time to leave’ checklist here.
There’s nothing worse than feeling stuck and uninspired at work. It’s a whole body experience. Everything starts to lose its saturation. I point out the symptoms and what to do about it in my post here.
If your creative solutions are needed at your current company, you’ll likely get promoted. If not, and you’re on fire to solve those problems, find a company that values the same things you do—and go for it.
If you only walk away with one nugget from this article, learn to identify problems you can solve with expertise and passion, and make it happen. Life is so much richer.
By focusing on your values and passions, you can stop asking, “What job can I get?” and start asking, “What problems do I care about solving?” It changes your mindset and you start to see areas that are worth improving, which are really just opportunities to do the work you love. Your job will start feeling less like a cage and more like an open field.
The workplace is your sandpit. It’s the best place to discover your purpose. Despite what you may think, your purpose won’t be found “out there”. You’re discovering it right now. With every disagreement, rejection, and reprimand, you’re waking up to what you stand for. And the work you should be doing is what brings you joy and inevitably the people you do it for.
If you’re looking to level up, you will. If you want to discover your purpose, you’re already doing it. If you capture and create as you go, you’ll be amazed at what topics, themes, and ideas you constantly circle.
Play with your day and create freely.
Know your capable of more? I’m a Creative Career Coach ready to listen. Book now and let’s discover your purpose together.
