I was doing everything right.
I started my career at CHG Healthcare as a Talent Acquisition Specialist, following the natural progression: level I, then level II, then Senior. The path was clear, predictable, and honestly? Safe.
But somewhere along that carefully laid track, I looked up and realized something. The career I actually wanted—operations and program building—didn’t exist on my team.
I could have waited for someone to notice my operational skills. I could have hoped leadership would create a role that fit. But I started asking myself: What if I’m waiting for something that’s never coming? That’s when I decided: There is no bigger advocate for your professional future than you.
— Jen Mejia, Sego Leading · 2026
I was sitting at my desk, staring at the organizational chart, when it hit me. The role I needed didn’t exist. So maybe I needed to build it myself.
I started treating my own career advancement like a business proposal. I assessed gaps in our team’s workflow. I met with different leaders, asking questions, gathering feedback on what wasn’t working, what needed more focused attention. I studied our strategic roadmap and identified where I could add value.
Then I did something that felt simultaneously bold and terrifying: I wrote myself a job description.
Not in a “wouldn’t it be nice” way. In a “here’s exactly how I would fill these specific gaps” way. I created a proposal grounded in business needs. I put together what I call a “brag book”—evidence of my track record, my capabilities, and what I’d already delivered. And then I scheduled time with my leadership team to present it all.
The doubt showed up immediately.
Would this be seen as pushy?
Was I trying to fill a business need that didn’t really exist?
What if they said no?
I went back and forth on how strongly to advocate for myself. The questions multiplied. I was asking leadership to create something that had never existed before, to take a risk on a role—and a vision—that was entirely mine.
But I kept coming back to one thought: Staying on my current path didn’t fit. Being “safe” felt riskier than hearing “no.”
Leadership assessed my proposal. Within three months, I moved into a newly created role in TA Operations.
I learned something powerful in all that ambiguity: I love building something up from scratch, creating structure, and building frameworks that others can adopt. I found a passion for building things that could withstand the test of time and go on whether I’m in the role or not.
And because I met every commitment of the job I created, the next time I advocated for an advancement—for another role that didn’t exist—leadership trusted me. They knew I could deliver.
That pattern repeated. Each role I envisioned, I built. Years later, those self-created roles led me into leadership.
Today, I’m Sr. Manager of Talent Planning at CHG Healthcare. And I’m currently going through WLI’s Career Development Series, continuing to build the skills and networks that will carry me forward. Happy endings all around!
As much as I advocated for myself in this story, I know I had people in my corner. People who were saying my name in rooms I wasn’t in. People vouching for me, guiding me to build the skills I needed to grow. Those sponsors saw potential in me. They supported my self-advocacy. They made space for my vision.
And now? Over my last several years in leadership, I try to be that for others too. Because I know how much of a difference it makes.
It creates doors for others to continue the work. And that matters to me.