What do Ralph Macchio and Mark Hamill have in common?

Answer: Both were huge early successes before getting typecasted (Think Karate Kid and Star Wars) and almost never acting again.

Turns out, the way people initially perceive your skills stains the opportunities you get later on.

In large companies, where you start is often an indication of where you’ll end. Businesses often have a positive bias towards hiring outside talent. Because companies prefer hiring from outside than promoting employees, jumping from one business to another is often the best way to raise in the hierarchy.

Managers use few points of reference to predict how you’ll evolve. They’re not in your head, they don’t know what else you think about.

Don’t be a one-trick pony. How can you give your colleagues more reference points to assess your skills and potential?