It has been 7 years since I started working at a healthcare data system management company in New Jersey.

When I first joined, I was thrilled just by the fact that I was working for an American company.

I adapted as best as I could to the American communication style and processes, which sometimes seemed inefficient, and I diligently completed my assigned tasks.

In annual performance reviews, I received feedback such as 'responsible', 'accurate', and 'detail-oriented', and I was known among my team members as someone who did their job well without mistakes.

However, strangely, promotions felt particularly distant for me.

Watching a colleague who joined at the same time receive a manager title and present projects left me with a strange sense of deprivation.

I set up the backend data for that project and organized the figures myself.

Yet, the presentation, the credit, and ultimately the title belonged to that person.

I rationalized to myself, thinking, "They must have been lucky," or "That person is just very sociable," but deep down, I knew.

There was something I didn't know.

And that 'something' became clearer over time.

Promotions in American companies go to those who can not only do their job well but also know how to showcase that they are doing well.

I always summarized my reports with a short note saying "attached please find..." and left it at that.

The data analysis I spent hours organizing ended up in my boss's report, and I would only cautiously share my opinions during meetings when asked.

However, I learned too late that in American organizational culture, that was interpreted as 'lack of presence'.

A senior manager I respected always said this.

"Results are important, but ultimately, the company operates as a system between people."

That saying has been lingering in my mind lately.

The secret to promotions that I didn't know was right there in that 'between people'.

Looking back, the colleagues who were promoted to manager volunteered for leadership training sessions outside of work and consistently showed up at company networking events.

While I thought I was too busy and tired, in hindsight, that might have been another choice that confined my potential.

Seven years is certainly not a short time.

The expertise and responsibility I have accumulated during this time are undoubtedly my own assets.

But now, I deeply feel that it is time to also develop a strategy to 'visualize' those assets.

So these days, I am making small changes.

Before meetings, I make sure to organize and share my ideas, even if briefly, and I add simple insights to my email reports.

And when my boss asks anything, I am developing the habit of summarizing the core of my work in one sentence instead of just answering.

In American companies, promotions are not achieved solely through skill.

'Showcasing skills' and 'presence' must go hand in hand.

Not knowing that, I have been running silently for 7 years, and I am just now beginning to realize that secret little by little.

If you are wondering like I was, "Why am I still stuck in this position?" I hope you consider that simply 'doing your job well' may not be enough.

All of our skills are sufficient.

Now, it just needs to change in how we showcase them.