From stuck to sought after: three steps to unlock your HR career potential

As HR professionals, we excel at developing talent and building careers—everyone's except our own. Most HR leaders feel stuck in their careers, not because they lack ability, but because they don't know how to showcase their value.

Stop hiding your value

A key challenge that I see among HR leaders is that we undervalue ourselves. We're so focused on organizational needs that we neglect our own development. As HR professionals wearing multiple hats—from culture carrier to strategic problem solver—we often feel like a "jack of all trades, master of none." How can we be good at everything?

Why does this happen? According to a 2023 study from KPMG, 75% of high-performing senior women experience imposter syndrome. HR leaders are no exception. When an unexpected redundancy strikes or toxic environments force us to leave, we find ourselves unprepared—lacking confidence, networks, and clarity about our unique value proposition.

This kind of mindset keeps us focused on what we lack rather than what we contribute. When I first start working with a new client, I often ask, “What are your strengths?” Inevitably, they start giving me a laundry list of their weaknesses (“I don’t have any M&A integration experience.” “I don’t speak Mandarin.” Etc, etc). My clients don’t realize that this is exactly how they come across in job interviews and networking conversations too.

Through my “Strategic Strengths Spotting” exercise, I help clients shift their focus from their weaknesses to their strengths. Your strengths are the things you do well naturally; things that energize rather than drain you. It’s important for HR leaders to recognize and leverage their strengths because while AI can automate technical tasks, it cannot replicate human attributes like empathy, creativity, and judgment. These are exactly the things that make you valuable as an HR leader and help you to make better decisions about your team, your business and your career.

Who are you outside of your organization? Who are you without your corporate title and the brand name on your business card?

Start sharing your story

Who are you outside of your organization? Who are you without your corporate title and the brand name on your business card? I have no doubt that you’ve achieved amazing things and have built great relationships with your internal stakeholders. But those achievements are invisible if no one knows about them. This is where storytelling and personal branding become so important.

The best place to start is LinkedIn. LinkedIn has 1 billion users (80% of whom are based outside of the U.S.), and 7 people are hired per minute on the platform. So, if you aren’t on LinkedIn (or you are on it and you aren’t using it) you are losing out on opportunities every. single. minute.

Take Jess, a Head of Learning who was made redundant and struggled for 12 months in her job search. I encouraged her to write her very first LinkedIn post about her experience. The response was immediate—new connections and coffee meetings flooded in. One connection stayed in touch for six months, then called her for an interview when a role opened up. She got the job, all from one authentic post.

The key is crafting narratives that showcase your impact. Don't just list responsibilities—tell stories about challenges you've overcome, processes you've improved, and the measurable difference you've made to your organizations. A great tool you can use to start building your personal brand and crafting your stories is the career development framework.

Is sharing your story scary? Sure. You might be thinking, “What if my boss sees this? What is no one likes my content?” The reality is that no one is thinking about you as much as you are thinking about yourself. So start. Even if you are not ready. Start with sharing an article or commenting on other’s posts. Just start.

Get seen by the right people

The number of applications submitted on LinkedIn has surged more than 45% in the past year. While everyone's drowning in AI-generated resumes, the real opportunities are happening through relationships and referrals. The traditional "spray and pray" approach (or “throwing spaghetti at the wall” as I like to call it) of online applications isn't working. I advocate for a more holistic approach that includes a mix of networking, partnering with headhunters and applying online.

Christine, a Senior HR Business Partner in tech, exemplified this multi-channel approach. She strategically applied online while simultaneously building relationships and leveraging her network. When she found her new role, she had multiple opportunities in play and secured a senior HRBP role after a strategic, targeted search.

Your career is your responsibility

No organization is responsible for managing your career—you are. This means proactively building your network, establishing your personal brand, and positioning yourself for opportunities before you need them.

Whether you're currently job searching or planning your next career move, remember that your experience, expertise, and unique perspective have tremendous value.  You have everything you need to succeed if you stop hiding your value, start sharing your story and get connected to the right people.

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I work with female senior leaders in Human Resources who feel stuck to help them love their work or find work they love. I write about:

👂 Executive & career coaching

📄 Career development and career transition

🎯 Job search strategy

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