Yesterday I had a chat with a design leader who’s been actively interviewing for months.

He’s made it to so many final rounds.

He’s talented. Sharp. Experienced.

People like him.

But he keeps falling short at the final stage.

And when we dug deeper, we realized something:

It’s not his portfolio. Not his experience.

It’s the energy behind his words.

Every answer had a slight tremble in it.

A hesitation. A vague uncertainty. A subtle “maybe?”

That stuff doesn’t always show up in the hiring manager’s feedback.

But it’s what kills the room.

This is more common than most people realize.

I’ve seen this same pattern play out with mid-level and senior designers too.

They do all the “right” things:

• Solid case studies

• Great stakeholder stories

• Well-prepped interview questions

But they show up unsure of themselves.

And here’s what happens:

• Hiring manager loves them

• But the panel hesitates

• And the team says: “We’re just not fully convinced”

It’s not about talent.

It’s about conviction.

This hit home for me because I’ve lived this too.

When I first started UX coaching, I had so much doubt.

I wasn’t sure if I could help anyone.

I kept worrying: Who am I to do this?

What if I mess it up?

So I did an exercise that completely shifted things.

I wrote down my top 10 limiting beliefs.

And for each one, I asked:

“Why is this not true?”

That flipped the script.

I realized:

• I had helped people already.

• I did have real experience.

• The people I wanted to serve were waiting for someone like me.

I kept that list.

Still refer to it every time I doubt myself.

It’s my reminder:

The obstacle isn’t “lack of skills.”

It’s the belief that we’re not enough.

If you’re in that stuck loop — lots of interviews but no offer — it might not be your portfolio.

It might be your belief system.

Start with this:

Write down 5 beliefs you hold about why you haven’t landed a job yet.

Then ask yourself: “Why is this not true?”

You’ll be surprised what opens up.

If this spoke to you, DM me “BELIEF” — I’ll share how we can work together on this inside UX Careerpreneur.