Why You’re Still Underpaid: 3 Career Lies That Keep High Achievers Stuck

If you’ve ever looked at your paycheck and thought, “I should be making way more than this,” you’re not wrong. But the real reason you’re still underpaid probably isn’t what you think.

After coaching hundreds of leaders through promotions, salary raises, and total career pivots—resulting in over $20 million in salary increases—I’ve identified three key lies that professionals believe, which sabotage their success.

It’s time to unlearn them. Let’s go.

Career Lie #1: Hard Work Speaks for Itself

It doesn’t. Hard work makes you dependable. But visibility and strategic self-promotion make you promotable. Many professionals—especially women—were raised on the belief that being the “quiet competitor” would eventually get noticed. But in today’s economy, being quiet means being overlooked. Being quiet makes you invisible, and if you are invisible, you are dispensable. Employers will absolutely let you over-deliver and under-earn until you speak up.

➡️ When thousands of people were being laid off at Amazon, one of my clients rewrote her job description and presented it to leadership. She was promoted and her salary jumped from $289K to $433K. She didn’t get more degrees. She got clear on her value and asked for more.

Career Lie #2: The Market Determines Your Worth

Many people buy into fear-based narratives about hiring freezes, mass layoffs, and a “bad job market.” But here’s the truth: the job market doesn’t determine your worth—your mindset does.

Microsoft laid off 10,000 people in July 2023 and hired one of my clients the next month for a $575K role. She knew what she wanted to do and could passionately explain to the interviewers how she could solve their problems. She knew the value of her expertise and confidently negotiated her worth with zero hesitation.

People are getting hired and paid every single day. The question is: Are you positioned to get the job you deserve and one that pays you your full value? Or are you settling for crumbs while leaving the whole cake on the table?

Career Lie #3: Your Resume Gets You the Job

Nope. Your resume might get you in the door. But it’s your mindset—and how well you can articulate your value—that gets you the offer.

I’ve seen people with Ivy League MBAs lose interviews because they couldn’t deliver a 90-second pitch. Meanwhile, my clients who mastered their unique value proposition and showed up with confidence routinely secured offers 30–100% above their previous salaries.

If you’re applying to $120K jobs with a $320K background, you will likely be told that you are overqualified. But, you take that statement as rejection when they are telling you that you are misaligned. And if they place you in a role that you are misaligned for, it will create a hostile and toxic work environment for both you and them, as your dissatisfaction with only utilizing 10% of your skills will lead to disengagement and quiet quitting. 

What Should You Do Instead?

Here are three proven shifts I teach inside the Pay Raise Playbook that consistently move my clients from stuck to six-figure success:

✅ Mindset > Tactics: Before you even touch your resume, assess your belief system. Are you confident in your ability to get another job? Do you believe you deserve more? If the answer is shaky, your strategy will be too.

✅ Master Your 90-Second Pitch: You need to be able to answer, “Tell me about yourself” with clarity, conviction, and zero hesitation. Your pitch should make people say, “We need to hire her/him—now.”

✅ Position Yourself Above the Noise: Stop competing with 250 applicants. Build your power network. Become known for one thing you do better than anyone else. That’s how high-level recruiters find you

Real Talk: It’s Not the Market. It’s How You’re Showing Up in It.

If you’ve been told you’re overqualified, too quiet, or “not the right fit,” it’s not rejection—it’s redirection.

And if you’re ready to stop waiting for someone to recognize your greatness and start earning what you’re worth, your next move is simple:

🎯 Take my free Career Recovery Quiz and find out what’s really holding you back.

Stop settling for less and start owning your value.

Watch my video "I Read 800 Resumes. Here’s Why You’re Still Not Getting Interviews" where I shared more insight here.

Christy Rutherford is a Strategic Advisor for Executive Success who has helped professionals earn over $20 million in salary increases—without burning out or selling themselves short. Through her proven strategies, Christy has empowered 27 leaders to double their salaries, 18 to triple their income, and 36 to secure 30% raises. She’s also guided nine women into 7-figure compensation packages, helping them redefine their careers and their lives.

Her work isn’t just about money—it’s about transformation. 70% of her clients choose to stay in their jobs after shifting from survival mode to thriving, often earning more while working less. Whether she’s helping leaders land six-figure raises or guiding them back to health with her on-demand courses or training corporate teams to lead with resilience, her mission is the same: To help ambitious leaders recover, realign, and rise to their next level—without sacrificing themselves along the way.