A Challenging Lesson in Speaking Up for Yourself in the Workplace
Annual performance reviews can be a mix of excitement and anxiety. They’re an opportunity to reflect on past accomplishments, receive feedback, and align on future goals. My most recent review on Friday, January 24, was mostly positive—I received high marks in areas like job knowledge, productivity, creativity, initiative, technical skills, and work quality. I also agreed to a 4% raise instead of the standard 5% due to a minor administrative issue. At the time, I left the meeting feeling satisfied.
But by the next morning, something felt off.
The Oversight I Almost Ignored
It hadn’t occurred to me in the moment, but one major topic had been left out of the conversation: a potential job title change. Over the past year, I had numerous discussions with my supervisor about my next career steps, and I had gone into my review prepared, presenting a two-page (front and back) document outlining my wins, challenges, and goals for the first half of 2025. Given all of this, I had assumed that if a title change were going to happen, my performance review would be the logical time for it.
At first, I tried to brush it off. But as the weekend went on, I found myself stuck in an internal debate. Should I say something, or let it go? I didn't want to seem ungrateful or pushy, but I also knew that I had worked hard enough to earn the recognition.
Taking the Leap
By Saturday evening, I decided to write an email. I knew that if I scheduled an in-person conversation, I might get too caught up in my feelings and forget to hit all my key points. Writing allowed me to process my emotions and be clear about my concerns.
In my email, I expressed that after having time to reflect, I realized that I had expected a conversation about a title change. I acknowledged that I respected my managers’ decisions and didn’t feel the need to revisit the issue at that moment; I just wanted to share my thoughts. To manage my own anxiety, I scheduled the email to send at 7:15 a.m. on Monday—giving myself time to breathe before it went out.
The Outcome
Later on Monday morning, my supervisor responded with appreciation, thanking me for speaking up. And during our one-on-one that week, I was offered a title change to Digital Marketing Manager—along with an apology for the oversight. I accepted.
Had I stayed silent, I would have remained a Marketing Specialist for another year. While I’ve been proud to hold that title since transitioning from Graphic Designer, I knew that my contributions over the past few years—especially the projects I had spearheaded since settling into my role full-time in 2022—warranted a step forward.
Beyond the personal validation, advocating for this change was also a strategic career move. A Digital Marketing Manager title will improve my chances of attracting new employers when I take my next step.
The Lesson
This experience reinforced a crucial lesson: Speaking up for yourself is not just important—it’s imperative. It’s easy to assume that hard work alone will be recognized, but sometimes, you have to advocate for yourself to get what you’ve earned.
This situation could have ended differently. I could have stayed silent, rationalizing that titles don’t matter as much as the work itself. But in reality, titles do matter—they impact career progression, industry perception, and future opportunities.
For anyone in a similar situation, my advice is simple: If something feels off, trust yourself. Take the time to process, then speak up in a way that works for you. You never know what could happen when you do because you don't get what you don't ask for.
