To increase your chances of getting a job promotion, focus on demonstrating your ability to excel in the position you want, consider furthering your education, construct a business plan, improve your communication and teamwork skills, form mentor relationships, increase your visibility through community work, observe successful colleagues, keep a record of your successes, and avoid arrogance.
Getting a job promotion is more than a matter of luck. There are specific ways to increase your chance of getting promoted, and the steps to getting a promotion tend to stay the same in most work environments. From the office to the shop floor, your chances of getting a promotion increase by following the steps below.
Many people assume that good job skills at their current job make them eligible for promotion. Skill at what you do is important, but it doesn’t necessarily deserve promotion. Aim not only to be good at what you currently do, but also to demonstrate the ability to be good at the job you want to be promoted to.
Some positions may require additional education, training or an advanced degree – consider furthering your education to increase your chances of getting a promotion. Some companies even reimburse educational expenses related to your specific job or field. While education is important, it is not necessarily the most important qualification an employer looks for when promoting to a higher position.
It can also help let managers know that you have more to contribute to your work environment. Carefully construct a business plan that outlines your personal career goals. Once you’ve put it together, ask your manager for a meeting to discuss career growth. Once you’ve set your goals, ask your manager for specific feedback on areas you need to improve in order to get a promotion or fulfill your business plan.
This type of meeting should not be a forum to complain about not getting a promotion and, once you’ve clarified your goals, don’t repeat them. Instead, discuss your intent with a manager with a well-thought-out plan and get feedback. Then use employee reviews to discuss how well you are accomplishing the business plan you made.
In the technical or business fields, probably one of the biggest determining factors is your excellent communication skills. Being able to take criticism, lead teams, and have good relationships with co-workers and managers makes promotion more likely.
Even in an environment where teamwork is not common, you can lead teams that benefit your workplace. Teams can look at workplace issues such as improving the cafeteria, making the office environment more ergonomically sound, or how to implement safety and emergency plans for workers. Alternatively, in jobs where teamwork is used frequently, look for opportunities to lead teams to achieve work-related goals. If you’re not good at teamwork, you’re overdue for learning how to approach a team successfully. Take classes, read books, or watch others lead successful teams to become an effective team manager.
Form mentor relationships with a few key members of the senior team. In a large company, your personal visibility can be low if you don’t know the “highs” well. Research your company and look for those who can teach you more about your job. Then approach them and ask about guidance. This is not a chance to please yourself, but to improve your visibility, skills and likelihood of getting a promotion.
Increasing visibility can also be achieved through your work in the community. You could be a dedicated volunteer for Meals on Wheels, a local School Board member or a football coach. Write or publish in related trade magazines or websites to increase your company’s visibility and chances of promotion. Look to local organizations or politics as an opportunity to improve your interpersonal skills and to participate and lead teams.
In the workplace, observe other people who have been promoted and compare your behavior to theirs. If you have a good relationship with these workers, ask them in a friendly way which skills were most important in earning a promotion. Mirror those skills.
Don’t blow your own horn, but keep a record of your successes at work. In analytics, having a record of these successes can draw attention to these skills. Also plan to have an exemplary employee record. Arrive on time for work, minimize absences and be ready to take on the occasional extra work. You must show, rather than tell, that you have the qualities an employer looks for in a superior position.
Especially in technical areas, some employees are prone to arrogance about their superior knowledge or intellectual gifts. While technical knowledge is extremely important, don’t let yourself isolate it from less knowledgeable employees. Avoid superiority and embrace humility by learning more, especially about interpersonal skills in the workplace.
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