Hi {{contact.first_name}},

We lived in Dallas for almost nine years.
Long enough to pick up some of the language, and the spirit, of the place.

There’s an expression I would hear from time to time:

“Big hat, no cattle.”

It’s used to describe someone who’s all show -
a lot of talk, not much substance behind it.

What’s interesting is that in my work, I tend to see the opposite problem.

I work with thoughtful, highly capable professionals; people who care deeply about their work.

They’re smart. Mission-driven. Often highly educated.

They have no shortage of cattle.

But what they often lack…
is the “big hat.”

Perhaps you can relate?

Self-promotion is a strange thing.

It’s essential to navigating a job search,
and yet it can feel deeply uncomfortable.

For many people, it feels unnatural.
Even distasteful.

So, they avoid it.

They soften their accomplishments.
They hedge their language.
They hope their work will speak for itself.

And sometimes it does.

But often, it doesn’t land the way they need it to.

Because the reality is:

It’s not always the most qualified person who gets the opportunity.
It’s the person who can most clearly communicate the value they bring.

There’s a difference between having strong experience
and knowing how to make it land.

That’s where many people get stuck.

Not because they lack experience.

But because they haven’t learned how to translate that experience
in a way that connects to what the other person actually cares about.

There’s a reframe here that I find helpful.

Communicating your value isn’t about ego.
It’s not about exaggeration or performance.

At its best, it’s actually an act of service.

If I’m sitting across from you as a hiring manager, I likely have a problem I need solved.

I’m busy. Maybe overwhelmed. I don’t have time to decode your background or guess at what you might be capable of.

But if you can clearly and confidently connect your experience to what I need;

if you can help me see how you solve my problem;

that creates something powerful.

It creates clarity.

And clarity creates relief.

This is why confidence matters.

Not as a performance, but as a signal.

A calm, grounded sense of certainty helps the other person trust what they’re hearing.

It helps them move forward.

And like most things, this is a skill.

You can’t rely on improvisation here.

Talking about your experience in a way that is:

• clear

• relevant

• and compelling

…takes thought and practice.

You don’t need to become someone you’re not.

But you do need to learn how to represent what you bring
in a way that others can actually recognize.

Because having the “cattle” isn’t enough
if no one can see it,
or understand why it matters.

If this is something you’ve been navigating, especially in interviews or career transitions, this is exactly the kind of work I do with clients.

If you’d like to explore what that could look like for you, feel free to reach out.

Cheering you on,

Melissa Palmer, MS, CPC

Career Planning Studio
Smart Design for Work You Love

Executive Career Coach | Connect with me on LinkedIn!

www.careerplanningstudio.com

melissa@careerplanningstudio.com

469.615.7261

Curious whether working together could be a great fit? The first step is a complimentary consultation where we’ll talk through your background, current challenges, and what you’re aiming for and see if it makes sense to go further. You can schedule here.

Please forward this newsletter to a friend.

They can subscribe below to get their weekly dose of guidance, inspiration and strategic advice for building and maintaining their BEST CAREER.

Copyright © {{right_now.year}}, Career Planning Studio, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:

3600 North Duke St, #1369, STE 1
Durham NC  27704

Our email is:

melissa@careerplanningstudio.com

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can unsubscribe from this list