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Christine Lee earned a promotion to a more senior, technical role in a large IT department where promotions are competitive 🎉

To help and inspire fellow job seekers to build a career walking deck, she has shared her personal experience (in her own words) below:

When I started preparing for my recent interview, I wanted to do more than just answer questions. I wanted to show the panel who I am, what I’ve accomplished, how I understood the role, and how I’d approach it if selected.

That’s when I built my own version of a Career Walking Deck, a structured presentation that also doubled as a 90-day and 1-year strategic plan.

What I Included

• Current Role & Impact: My background in enterprise mobility, managing thousands of mobile devices, large-scale Intune migration, and public safety rollouts.
• Professional Strengths: Strategic mindset, organizational awareness, the ability to bridge mobility and desktop infrastructure, and proven project leadership.
• Understanding the Role: Showing I recognized the responsibilities of a Senior Systems Administrator: M365, AD, Group Policy, endpoint security and how my skills aligned.
• My Plan: A 90-day immersion into infrastructure operations and team dynamics, followed by a 1-year roadmap that included certifications (MD-102 and MS-102), building processes, and complementing the team with communication and creative problem-solving.

Why It Worked

This plan wasn’t about having all the answers, it was about showing clarity, initiative, and alignment. It gave interviewers confidence that:

• I had a structured approach to learning and growth.
• I understood the broader impact of the role.
• I could contribute immediately while building long-term value.

Most importantly, it helped them decide whether I fit their team – not just technically, but strategically.

Takeaway for Job Seekers

If you’re preparing for interviews, especially for roles that stretch your skills, consider building your own Career Walking Deck with a 90-day strategic plan.

Use it to tell your story:

• Who you are
• What you’ve accomplished
• How you understand the role
• What you’ll do if given the opportunity

I knew going into the process that I didn’t have all the technical experience the role required. What I did have was a clear story, a record of impact, and a roadmap for growth and in a large IT department where promotions are competitive, that gave me an edge.

Most of the roles I’ve earned haven’t been because I checked every technical box, but because I brought other strengths: strategic thinking, process design, communication, and the ability to connect technology to real organizational needs.

You may not always have the exact experience in a job description, but showing how you’ll close gaps while highlighting the unique skills you bring demonstrates initiative, vision, and the ability to think beyond requirements. For me, that storytelling approach made all the difference in earning a promotion into a more technical role.

Thanks for reading!

I hope Christine’s personal story and experience with career walking decks has inspired you to build your own. Please get started here where I share examples, templates, and resources.

You can also find hundreds of daily tips on my LinkedIn (DM me if you have any questions).

Best of luck!