Above average
Did you ever run a project where the hard calls were yours? Did you ever think in public about the work you say you care about? Has anyone in the industry ever written something positive about your work?
If someone looks you up, what shows up?
Not a title. Not a GPA. Something real.
Standing out doesn’t begin when you start looking. It shows up long before that.
Being above average isn’t a personality trait. It’s a trail.
And trails don’t appear on demand.