earn your stripes

earn your stripes
earn (one's) stripes
To prove that one is deserving of a particular position or designation.
I told the recruiter that I earned my stripes as a teacher before moving into administration.
You'll need to earn your stripes around here before they consider you for a different position.
See also: earn, stripe
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
earn your stripes
If you earn your stripes, you gain enough experience to deserve a particular job or position. Mr. Thaddeus earned his stripes playing for such foreign bands as the London-based Pitiful Souls and Singapore's X-Periments. He has worked hard to earn his stripes as a skilled debater in the House of Assembly.
See also: earn, stripe
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
See also:
earn (one's) stripes
earn one's stripes
bring (one) up for (something)
bring up for
rate as
rate as (something)
rank as
rank as (something)
worthy of the name
where (one) stands