You delivered the project on time. Stayed late when needed. Solved the problem no one else could figure out. And then someone else got the shoutout in the all-hands meeting.
If that scenario makes your stomach tighten with recognition, you’re not imagining it. For many professionals of color, the gap between contribution and credit isn’t a personal failing. It’s a systemic pattern. And understanding that pattern is the first step toward changing your trajectory.
The Visibility Gap Isn’t About Your Work Ethic
Here’s the uncomfortable truth most career advice won’t tell you: hard work alone doesn’t get you promoted. Visibility does.
Research from McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace report found that women of color represent a tiny percentage of C-suite leaders, despite making up a significant portion of the entry-level workforce. The pipeline drop-off isn’t because POC professionals suddenly stop performing. It’s because the systems designed to recognize and elevate talent weren’t built with them in mind.
According to Pew Research Center, professionals of color are more likely to report experiencing discrimination in hiring, pay, or promotions at some point in their careers. That’s not a fringe issue but a structural one.
So if you’ve been quietly grinding, hoping your results will speak for themselves, it’s time for a different strategy.
Why “Let My Work Speak for Itself” is Holding You Back
There’s a deeply ingrained belief, especially among first-generation professionals and those from communities that emphasize humility, that quality work should be self-evident. That staying heads-down and delivering excellence is the safest, most dignified path forward.
And in a perfectly fair world, it would be.
But workplaces aren’t meritocracies and they aren’t built to be fair or perfect. They’re ecosystems of relationships, perceptions, and narratives. The people who get promoted aren’t always the ones doing the best work. Instead, they’re the ones whose work is seen, understood, and championed by decision-makers.
This doesn’t mean you need to become someone you’re not. It means you need to become intentional about how your contributions are framed, shared, and remembered.
The system wasn’t designed to spotlight your contributions. That means you have to be the architect of your own visibility. Download The Visibility Checklist to apply five habits that will get you noticed.
Understanding The Sponsorship Gap for Career Advancement
If you’ve heard the advice to “find a mentor,” you’ve only gotten half the story. Mentors give advice. Sponsors give access.
A sponsor is someone with organizational power who advocates for you in rooms you’re not in; someone who puts your name forward for stretch assignments, promotions, and high-visibility projects. Think of them as your personal advocate.
Studies show that people of color tend to be over-mentored and under-sponsored. The distinction matters enormously. Sponsorship has been directly linked to promotion opportunities at twice the rate, and yet women are disproportionality impacted.
So how do you close that gap?
Five Moves to Build Strategic Visibility
You don’t need to overhaul your personality, but you do need a system. Here are five practical shifts that can change how you’re perceived and positioned at work.
1. Narrate Your Impact, Not Just Your Tasks.
Stop reporting what you did. Start articulating what it meant. Instead of “I completed the Q3 analysis,” try “The Q3 analysis I led identified $200K in cost savings, which informed the team’s budget reallocation.” Context is currency.
2. Build A Personal Board Of Advocates.
Don’t wait for a formal mentorship program. Identify two or three senior leaders—inside or outside your organization—who see your potential. Invest in those relationships. Share your goals. Make it easy for them to champion you by keeping them informed of your wins.
3. Claim Space In High-Visibility Moments.
Volunteer to present findings, not just compile them. Ask to lead the client meeting, not just prep for it. These are the moments where decision-makers form impressions. Your presence in those rooms signals readiness for more.
4. Document Everything.
Keep a running record of your contributions, outcomes, and positive feedback. This isn’t vanity—it’s evidence. When promotion conversations happen (often without you present), your advocate needs ammunition. Give them a loaded briefcase.
5. Audit Your Network For Power, Not Just Comfort.
It’s natural to build relationships with people who share your background or level. But strategic visibility requires connections with people who hold influence over your career trajectory. That might mean stepping into uncomfortable spaces. It’s worth it.
The Emotional Weight of Self-Advocacy
Let’s be honest about something. For many POC professionals, visibility work carries an emotional tax. There’s the exhaustion of code-switching. The hyperawareness of being “the only one” in the room. The internal tug-of-war between authenticity and strategic self-presentation. This sense of belonging, or not belonging, affects well-being, a willingness to self-promote, take risks, and push for what you deserve.
It’s good to acknowledge that weight, and then decide to carry it differently. Don’t pretend it doesn’t exist, but build a support system that helps distribute it. Find your people, your advocates. And remember that making yourself visible isn’t self-serving. It’s self-preserving.
Reframe Career Visibility as a POC
Here’s what I want you to take with you: visibility isn’t bragging. It’s bridge-building. Every time you articulate your value clearly, you’re expanding what leadership looks like for everyone who comes after you.
The system wasn’t designed to spotlight your contributions. That means you have to be the architect of your own visibility. Don’t be louder or less authentic. Just more deliberate.
Start this week. Pick one of the five strategies above and put it into action. Update your advocate on a recent win. Raise your hand for a presentation. Rewrite your last status update to lead with impact instead of activity.
Your work has always been excellent. Now it’s time to make sure the right people know it.
