Lead Coding Instructor salaries in United Kingdom

I have been an instructor on the postsecondary level for more than a decade, but I am not an academic. I come out of Work World and bring a wealth of career experience in my field IRL. I have what has been termed a "portfolio master's," with in-depth knowledge gained over that full career. I do not have an academic master's degree. Two universities and two community colleges have hired me without the advanced degree, but I am stymied now in my job search. How do I meet this challenge?

I have been an instructor on the postsecondary level for more than a decade, but I am not an academic. I come out of Work World and bring a wealth of career experience in my field IRL. I have what has been termed a "portfolio master's," with in-depth knowledge over that full career. I do not have an academic master's degree. Two universities and two community colleges have hired me without the advanced degree. I have relocated and seek to add a fifth institution of higher learning to my CV.

Anyone have this experience. My former coworker and friend said he had an interview. The hiring manager saw that he work Wells Fargo Bank for many years. The hiring manager said "I don't think you will be a fit for our culture because you worked at Wells Fargo." My friend said he was at a lost for words. He knew the decision already made without him opening his mouth.

Is it awkward to bring up a promotion timeline months after your boss first mentioned it? Earlier this year, my boss said there was a path for me to get promoted, but I didn’t really follow up on timing at the time. Now a few months have passed, and I’m wondering if it’s weird to bring it up in a 1-on-1 or if that’s exactly what I should be doing. I don’t want it to come across as pushy, but I also don’t want to just sit around hoping it happens. How would you bring it up?