The pain that doesn’t show up on a Résumé: Income decline and the urgency of professional authority

One of the most striking cases is within the medical profession. According to a Folha de S.Paulo article published on April 24, 2024, based on IBGE data, the number of doctors in Brazil grew by 54.5% over the last ten years, yet the average income for the profession dropped by 26%. In other words: more professionals, more work, more demand, and paradoxically, less financial return.

This is not an isolated case. It’s a reflection of what’s happening across many other professions. Teachers, consultants, freelancers, designers, engineers, marketing and HR professionals face the same logic: highly qualified, delivering a lot, yet struggling to maintain their value in a saturated, noisy market that’s increasingly being leveled downward.

I’m not talking about the kind of authority that comes from titles, years of experience, or a shelf full of certificates. I’m talking about authority built through clear positioning, effective communication, a presence that inspires trust, and the ability to uphold a value proposition perceived as unique.

Many still confuse authority with vanity. They think that positioning themselves is arrogance, that showcasing their work is oversharing, and that personal branding is shallow. But authority, when built with consistency, is a strategic asset. It shortens the gap between what you deliver and what you earn. It’s what makes someone stand out as a reference, instead of getting lost among thousands of identical résumés or profiles.

Building authority is not about shouting louder or chasing engagement hacks.It’s about coherence, clarity, and consistent delivery. It’s about transforming presence into perceived value. And yes, it directly impacts your income.

When you’re perceived as someone who solves, delivers, and knows what they’re doing, your price rises, because your value becomes non-negotiable.

Of course, this sounds harder when you’re in a phase of devaluation, when it feels like no one sees you, or worse, they see you but don’t recognize you. But it’s precisely in those moments that building your authority becomes most urgent.Because the tighter the market gets, the more you need to stand out, not disappear.

Authority won’t solve everything. But it will open doors that are currently closed.It allows you to negotiate with more confidence, charge with more certainty, and convert with more ease.Most importantly: it makes your value visible in a market still obsessed with price tags.

As long as qualified professionals continue to be underpaid, authority will remain both a competitive advantage and a legitimate form of reparation.

Because those with authority don’t beg for space, they occupy it.They don’t justify their price, they uphold it.They aren’t just remembered, they’re sought after.

This is the moment to shift the game. Not through desperation, but through strategy, positioning, and the courage to take ownership of your own story.

And if you’re ready to start, I’m here to help.