How to represent your experience when your title or health limits you

Executive overview

A mismatched job title or physical health condition can distort how colleagues and employers perceive your value. The fix is not to lead with what you can't do — it's to actively shape how your strengths and contributions are framed. Three listener questions cover health limitations at work, titles that don't reflect real experience, and how to plan a business presentation effectively.

Control the story you tell about yourself, not just the constraints you manage.

Managing health limitations at work

• Set clear expectations with your employer and team about physical constraints — but don't let those constraints become your primary identity.
• Build your professional brand around what you do exceptionally well, not what you can't do.
• Self-awareness matters: flag a difficult day to colleagues rather than letting unexplained friction build.
• Explore assistive technologies (voice recognition, ergonomic adjustments) as part of your own "reasonable accommodation" process — don't wait for an employer to initiate it.
• In the US, employers are legally required to provide reasonable accommodation for disabilities; know this as context, even if you don't invoke it directly.

Representing experience when your title is wrong

• On a LinkedIn profile or resume, it's acceptable to use an alternative title that better reflects the work you actually did — especially in bureaucratic organisations where titles reflect pay grades, not roles.
• On formal applications, use the official title and clarify the distinction; the goal is transparency, not deception.
• Reframe how you describe what you do: leading with purpose ("I facilitate learning so people reach their potential") is more memorable and accurate than a formal title.
• If a resume isn't generating interviews, shift effort to building professional networks — employers prefer to hire people they know or who come referred.
• Episode 209 (John Corcoran on professional organisations) covers strategies for building relationships that reduce dependence on resume screening.

Planning and delivering a business presentation

• Don't open PowerPoint first. Start with: who is the audience and what do you want them to do differently after this presentation?
• Use a mind map to organise: objective at the centre, audience concerns and context branching out.
• Structure: strong opening → evidence (cite sources beyond your own opinion) → storytelling → clear call to action → strong close.
• Infographics (e.g. Piktochart) can present data credibly and double as slides; they signal research and objectivity.
• Visuals support the message — determine the message and call to action first, then build the visual layer.
• Sending materials in advance lets the meeting focus on discussion rather than information transfer.

Books and tools mentioned

• The Power of Habit — Charles Duhigg; habit formation in individuals, companies, and sports teams.
• The Automatic Customer — John Warrillow; subscription business models and why they're reshaping strategy.
• Youtility — Jay Baer; marketing through genuine usefulness rather than advertising.
• Do app: persistent reminders with configurable frequency; useful for tasks that can't be deferred but keep getting missed.
• Piktochart: web-based infographic and slideshow tool; accessible even for non-technical users.