Hard truth: Design skills don’t get you promoted

I got the promotion…

6 months into my new role 🤯

While part of me believed it was all due to my design skills.

Deep down, I knew it wasn't the whole story.

I've been a designer for over a decade. You start to notice patterns.

Like how doing good work isn't always enough to move forward.

And that's where a lot of designers get stuck.

They're delivering projects.

They're improving their skills.

But when it comes to actually getting promoted?

It feels vague, frustrating, and honestly… a bit random.

I used to feel the same. I'd scroll through LinkedIn, seeing role update posts, wondering what these "promotable" designers were doing differently.

4 years later, I figured it out:

Career growth isn't just about design skills.

I know it sounds counterintuitive, but even the data* backs it up:

- 85% of career success comes from soft skills (like communication, leadership, and emotional intelligence), while only 15% comes from technical skills.

- LinkedIn reported 92% of hiring managers say soft skills are just as important, or more important than hard skills when hiring and promoting

- Harvard research shows 90% of top performer advantage is emotional intelligence, not skill level

- Gallup found 82% of promotions fail when companies prioritize technical skill over leadership ability.

Technical skills get you hired.

Soft skills get you promoted.

Here are the 7 mindset shifts that helped me finally get unstuck and promoted.

Mindset shift 1. If you don't ask, you don't get.

I didn't ask for a salary increase during the first 2 years of my career. I didn't get one. Shocker

After being told off by my friend (for which I'm very grateful), I started asking every 6-12 months and got a raise 70% of the time!

Other things I asked for (and got):

• the highest-profile project of the year

• four figure budgets for training and courses

• my daily travel expenses covered

• cool devices for my job expensed

• conference tickets and flights to the US fully paid

💡 Lesson: Closed mouths don't get fed. Ask!

🎯 Take action:

This week, schedule a conversation about a raise, training, or stretch project. You'll be surprised how much managers and companies want to help when they know your goals.

Mindset shift 2. Being liked beats being skilled

A Harvard Business Review study* found that being likable = more promotions raises & job offers.

I know it sounds unfair. But that's life.

When I got along with my managers and key stakeholders, I got

• better projects,

• more money,

• and better career opportunities.

💡 Lesson: Your relationships at work matter more than you think in your career success

🎯 Take action:

- Identify one stakeholder you could build a better relationship with. Reach out.

- Book a coffee chat with someone influential in your org.

P.S. Don't fake it. It doesn't work if it isn't authentic.

Mindset shift 3. Doing great work wasn't enough. I had to make sure people saw it.

I spent years thinking my manager saw all the great work I was doing.

During my performance review, she listed things I needed to demonstrate. Confused, I replied, "I've been doing that for months."

She replied, "Oh, I didn't see it."

By then, it was too late. Salaries & promotions were already set.

So, I started documenting everything and using my 1:1s to showcase my work, not just for "support."

💡 Lesson: Visibility is everything. Learn to self-advocate. Nobody will do it for you.

🎯 Take action:

- Start a brag doc: track your wins, results, and learnings weekly.

- Use your next 1:1 to present a small win or outcome you're proud of.

Mindset shift 4. The people around you shape your career success

During my first job, I spent time with slackers. I gradually became one.

I then moved to a high-performing team and noticed I leveled up fast.

💡 The people around you shape your:

• Habits

• Mindset

• Ambition

• Reputation

You get labeled by the company you keep. That label affects how others see you.

Do you want to be known as the high performer or the bare minimum designer?

💡 Lesson: Surround yourself with people who raise your standards.

🎯 Take action:

- Look at who you spend the most time with. Are they growing?

- Join a community, Slack, or design group that pushes you… or create one!

Mindset shift 5. Senior stakeholders and execs open doors

These people have power. And you want them on your side.

How? Show a genuine interest in their work.

✅ Learn about their business area.

✅ Understand what they care about.

✅ Speak their language (not just design lingo).

💡 Lesson: The more senior people trust you, the more doors open for you.

🎯 Take action:

- Identify one senior stakeholder to build trust with this month.

- Book in an informal chat with them to ask them about their career journey or current projects

Tip: Don't fake this. It doesn't work if it's fake. Find something that you can show a genuine interest in. These relationships also take time to build

Mindset shift 6. I learned more from teammates than from any online course.

I learned so much more watching my teammates' work than Googling frameworks.

• I was able to see which methods work in practice

• I saw how to apply them with an example I understood

• It also helped me better understand the business and product context, the stuff that matters when making design decisions.

💡 Lesson: Real learning happens on the job. It's worth thousands in education.

🎯 Take action:

- Ask a teammate to walk you through their latest project.

- Join a design review even if it's not your work (I always try to join reviews even if they have nothing to do with my projects)

I always tell designers to use their jobs to learn; it's free and the most effective way.

Mindset shift 7. Knowing the product and business made me 10x more valuable

One time, a senior stakeholder asked me how to improve a project.

I froze 😶

I'd only focused on my minor feature and had no clue how it fit into the bigger picture.

I responded with a pathetic answer. He wasn't impressed, and it was embarrassing and impacted my credibility. He was also one of the stakeholders I was trying to do lesson 5 with (developing relationships with stakeholders).

Fail.

After that, I went deep on:

• The product

• The business model

• The users

• The metrics

💡 Lesson: The more you know, the more formed your thoughts and opinions.

🎯 Take action:

- Schedule 30 minutes a week to read internal product docs.

- Map out how your feature connects to the company's goals.

- Use Lesson 5 to do this and kill two birds with one stone

Conclusion

You have two options:

1. Keep obsessing over just your technical skills.

2. Or start developing the other skills that move your career forward.

They're two different games.

The designers who are getting promoted, paid, and recognized?

They aren't just better at design.

They know how to build strong relationships, make their work visible, and earn trust.

It's about what you do outside the screen that makes a difference.

References*

(Carnegie Institute of Technology study)

LinkedIn Global Talent Trends Report (2020)

(Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence Research (Harvard Business Review, 1998))

(Harvard study: The Likability Factor" by Timothy A. Judge and Charlice Hurst, published in 2006)