Unfulfilled in your current job? Love the company, employers and colleagues, but feel you could handle more responsibility? If so, it’s probably time to get yourself a promotion.
A better title, more control over how you work and a pay rise are some of the benefits of being promoted. It’s a step further up the career ladder, and a perfect way to develop as a professional. However, it's often not an easy thing to achieve: you need to show your employer exactly why you deserve it, and how it could benefit the company. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the ways you can improve your chances of being promoted and gain the recognition you deserve!
1) Take initiative
If you’re comfortable taking on extra duties and volunteering for more responsibility at work, this can be a great way to show your manager you’re ready to step up professionally. Whenever there’s an opportunity to take on a new project or lead a team, go for it. As long as you can effectively manage the additional tasks without becoming stressed or burnt out, this is a great way to show you’re a highly motivated team member committed to growing and developing within the business. You can also show initiative by coming up with innovative ways to solve problems. For example, if you can identify anything impeding productivity or generating unnecessary costs within your department, identify these and create a plan that you can put forward to your manager. If there’s a task people on your team have been reluctant to take on, be the person to step up and get it done.
2) Build good working relationships
Did you know that one of the biggest factors in professional success is emotional intelligence? This is the ability to understand and empathise with others, defuse conflict, and overcome challenges. In the workplace, this can be a bit of a superpower, and a real shortcut to building great relationships within your team. You should also try to build strong relationships with senior employees in the company. Reach out to a few and ask if you can get involved with a project they’re heading up, or if they’d be willing to be your career mentor. Building relationships with senior employees will help you get a positive reputation within the company, plus, they’ll be there to advocate on your behalf when it comes time to apply for that promotion.
3) Continue to learn and expand your skills
No matter how many qualifications you have, there’s always more skills to develop and knowledge to acquire. If your company offers any classes for professional development, take them. If your skills need refreshing or you need to gain new ones such as public speaking or project management, take an online course. Don’t be afraid to take lateral moves too - this will give you the chance to take on different responsibilities and allow you to develop a more varied skillset. If you want to be promoted to a management position, why not spend time learning about theories of leadership, or ways to effectively manage a team? That way, when you have the responsibility, you’ll be ready to take on the challenge and hit the ground running.
4) Ask questions
Many people avoid asking questions at work because they think it shows weakness or a lack of knowledge, but in truth, being inquisitive shows employers you’re genuinely interested in your work and eager to learn more. In meetings or 1-1 discussions, don’t hesitate to ask questions if you don’t understand something. Employers don’t expect you to be an expert in everything, and will likely admire your ability to be self-aware enough to know when to ask for more information. Asking questions is also a great way to demonstrate that you value the opinion of others, and are keen to learn from their knowledge and perspectives.
5) Make the most of your appraisals
A performance appraisal is a perfect opportunity to show off your hard work and gain some constructive feedback from your employer. Most companies should do appraisals regularly, if you haven’t had one in the past year or so, don’t hesitate to ask your manager to arrange one. Before you meet, make a list of everything you’ve accomplished since your last meeting. Include the targets you met, the outcomes of your work and the things you’ve done outside your specific role such as projects you’ve worked on or development courses you’ve been on. You can then present this list to your manager so that they can see you’re committed and willing to progress in the company. You’ll also gain valuable feedback from them which will help improve your performance further.
Work hard and success will follow!
A promotion isn’t just going to come knocking at your door. You need to find ways to demonstrate to your employer that you’re capable of taking on extra responsibility, managing a team, and working independently without much support. By following the steps above, you’ll be able to show this and be the first in mind when your employer is next looking for someone to promote! Of course, if you’re following all the steps above for some time and you’ve not received a promotion, that’s likely a sign you’re undervalued in your current company and it might be wise to move on. Give your trusted recruitment partner a call – they’ll be happy to help you find a role that ticks all the right boxes!
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