When Career Growth Isn’t Upward
Reaching a career milestone didn't look how I'd imagine
Most people who have worked diligently and consistently in their career field hold managerial or senior leadership positions by the time they reach a milestone anniversary, whether it be 5, 10, or 15 years.
As I approached my 10th anniversary in the animation industry, I realized that a promotion was rapidly slipping out of my reach. I often saw my peers from undergrad or earlier in my career announcing their promotions on LinkedIn. Some were individuals I had trained, while others hadn’t been in the industry as long as I had, and some hadn’t even studied animation but had found a home in the industry along the way. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t affect me. It wasn’t that I believed they didn’t deserve it; rather, I felt overlooked despite my efforts, as my supervisors and managers did not see me as deserving.
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After I was laid off in 2022, I focused on gaining as much upper management experience as I could outside of work while also vocalizing my readiness during every interview I attended. I sought experiences that would support a promotion. Frequently during interviews, I was told,
“You have great experience for a supervisor; however, we do not offer external promotions.”
I found myself overqualified for coordinator positions, which left me feeling stuck and frustrated.
I later learned from someone who no longer worked at a company where I had interviewed that the leadership team thought I had great experience and would be a good fit, but they believed I knew too much. That was a hard message to receive. I’m sure many who have interviewed with me have felt similarly.
When I outline my experiences, capabilities, and share my ambitions, I’m still met with the response, “Yes, but have you done XYZ in your current position?” That’s the challenging part. Hierarchies in the animation industry can be strong, and there isn’t much support for transitioning from entry-level positions to middle management while on the job.
I often find myself excluded from the very opportunities I’m told I need for promotion. You can imagine how frustrating that can be.
Reflecting on what I’ve gained, I think about how I’ve grown Simply Robotix and what I still have planned for it. I recall the organizations where I’ve volunteered, the interns I’ve helped with their resumes and interview skills, and the assistants I’ve guided, providing practical industry experience and compensation. All of these things would not have been possible had I been in a more leadership-oriented role in my day job. As I weigh these gains, I also consider what I’ve lost: opportunities.
With the ever-shrinking industry, including mergers and hiring freezes, competition has intensified. People have been in their roles longer, resulting in fewer available positions to move into.
At times, I feel like I may have missed my window of opportunity through no fault of my own.
When I think about myself and countless other Black women and girls in this industry, I reflect on how we can be held back by powers and circumstances beyond our control. Many of us carry familial responsibilities and often need to juggle multiple jobs to support our families, whether they are the ones we were born into or those we have created. We face limited professional support and mentorship along the way. And even for those, much like myself, who don’t need the mentorship, I think of the Viola Davis quote,
“The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there”.