Let me tell you a quick story from a recent coaching session.

I was reviewing a Minimum Valuable Pitch (MVP) one of my clients had sent to her dream company. On paper, she’s a mid-to-senior level designer. Years of experience. Solid roles.

But something wasn’t landing.

I dug deeper. And what I saw reminded me of a hard truth:

Seniority isn’t about how long you’ve been doing this.

It’s about how you think and how you communicate.

I’ve met designers with 10+ years of experience who still operate like juniors.

And I’ve met juniors who think and speak like seasoned leaders.

Here’s what separates them:

→ They can clearly articulate the problem they’re solving.

→ They communicate the rationale behind their solution.

→ They understand the impact they’re driving—not just the deliverables.

→ And they explain it all in simple, human terms. No fluff. No jargon.

That’s the work I ended up doing with her. Not just tweaking the copy of her pitch, but peeling it back.

We asked:

→ What’s the actual problem here?

→ Why does it matter?

→ What’s the end goal?

→ What decision is this supposed to move forward?

We stripped out all the clever lines and focused on clarity.

We rewrote it so that anyone, even someone without a design background, could immediately see her value.

That’s the shift.

From doing the work → to understanding the why behind it.

From showing effort → to showing thinking.

And when you do that, you don’t just look more senior—you become someone others want to follow. Someone hiring managers want to bet on.

And that’s exactly what I told her:

“You don’t have to wait to be seen as senior. Start thinking like one now.”

Because real seniority shows up way before the title does.

So if you’re feeling overlooked, or stuck in a mid-level role—don’t just polish your portfolio.

Ask yourself:

→ Can I explain what I do in a way that makes sense to a non-designer?

→ Am I clearly linking my work to business outcomes and impact?

→ Am I solving problems—or just completing tasks?

The answers might be uncomfortable. But they’ll point you to the shift you need.

Because titles don’t get you the offer.

Thinking does.

Joseph