Take the job. Even if it stings a little.

I applied to 88 jobs. Eighty-eight. And I heard back from exactly zero of them.  

So when the founders of KT Tape finally offered me a job, I said yes.  I had been introduced to the founders by my brother.  I wasn't expecting a job offer. I was just hoping they would introduce me to other companies that were hiring. 

The job title? Marketing Coordinator.  I was 43 with more than six years of prior work experience and 18 years of raising kids and running a household.  It felt like a big step backward.  But I was desperate.  So, I took the job.  And then I got to work.

I didn't just do what the job required.  I asked others how I could help them.  I looked for ways to improve the company.  Over time, I kept a running list of everything I did that wasn't technically my job.  I kept track of problems I solved, additional responsibilities I took on, and other departments I helped. I wasn't doing it with any other expectation but to learn more and contribute, because I knew my job title didn't reflect what I was capable of.

After a year, my boss left. That meant I had an unusual opportunity: a direct line to the company president.  One day, I got up the courage to ask him for a meeting to discuss my career path.  I walked into that conversation with a list of everything I had done over the past year that wasn't in my job description.  I explained that I felt I was doing the job of a marketing manager and asked if he would consider promoting me.  He agreed.

A month later, I received the title of marketing manager and an increase in pay.  I didn't get that promotion because I waited for someone to notice me. I got it because I made it impossible not to notice me. There's a difference.

If you're returning to the workforce and the role isn't what you pictured, know that it might still be the right door.  Sometimes, you take the job that isn't perfect because it helps you build confidence and prove yourself and that can still be right.

How to Turn a "Starter Role" into Something Bigger

1. Say yes to the imperfect offer.A title that feels beneath you is still a foot in the door, and a foot in the door beats 88 applications that go nowhere. 
2. Know your actual job description and then do more than required. Once you have your foot in the door, keep a copy of your original job description.  Do what is required of you really well and then look for what else needs to be done.
3. Keep a record of your contributions.Write everything down. Every project, every extra task, every time you helped another team. You can't advocate for yourself in a promotion conversation without evidence, and you won't remember it all from memory.
4. Introduce yourself across departments. Ask other teams how you can help them. This isn't just generosity--it's strategy.  You become visible, you learn the business, and others can advocate for your value.
5. Ask for the promotion--don't wait to be handed it.  Schedule the conversation, bring your documentation, and make the ask. The worst they say is not yet.  
6. If the company is big enough, look laterally too. Promotion isn't the only path. Large companies often allow internal transfers. So if you are starting out in a role that isn't exactly what you were hoping for, know that you might be able to move to a different department to a role that is better aligned with your skills.

The job I took wasn't the job I imagined for myself. But it led to the career I was building toward all along.  It takes guts to say yes when part of you wants to hold out for something better. But the women who get back in the game? They're the ones who don't wait for perfect. They start.

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