I think the larger issue is that our industry, and employers, still conflate UX and UI design. What gets praised is what you can see: the visual design. I've been working primarily as a UX designer, alongside UI designers, for about 5 years. It can be discouraging to regularly hear praise for how something looks and rarely for how your "non-visual" efforts made something easier to use. Doubly so getting eye rolls when, as a UX designer, you raise questions about accessibility with a UI design that looks nice. When is the last time you heard anyone rave over a customer journey map?