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5 Ways To Get A Promotion

This article is more than 9 years old.

Job security is something everyone longs for, and typically we view moving up in the organization as a sign that our jobs are indeed secure. Increased wealth and opportunity are also things we long for, and a promotion at work can help to achieve that. But receiving a promotion doesn’t always come easy, so here are five suggestions to help in your efforts to receive a promotion:

The first thing a boss will look at when trying to decide who to promote - how are they doing at the job they have currently been assigned? If a promotion is what you want, you first need to overachieve in your current position. Arrive a few minutes early each day and stay just a few minutes late. Go the extra mile with every responsibility you take on. Even when you are asked to do something silly or seemingly unimportant, treat with the utmost care and knock it out of the park. Never assume your boss isn’t noticing. Even if the boss doesn’t see your actions firsthand they will likely hear about it from others and it will make an impression as they are looking for people to entrust with further responsibility in the company.

Second, it’s important to make sure that people in management know you desire to move up. Let them know what your career goals are. Don’t just share them once, share them multiple times so they won’t forget. If they don’t know you are looking to move up it is easy for them to look elsewhere making the assumption that no one internally is interested in filling a new position. As a CEO there were employees who reached out to me to let me know of their desires to move up, and even if I didn’t think they were ready yet, their names stood out in my mind every time a new position would come available, until eventually I felt they were ready to be promoted.

Third, if you are ever considered for a promotion and are ultimately not chosen, ask the people who interviewed you to give you open feedback regarding why you were not selected. Ask what you can do going forward to have a better chance of being selected the next time a promotion becomes available. Then, when they give you feedback on how to change – DO IT! Implement the feedback you are given on how you can improve, and do it continuously. Nothing will frustrate a manager more than when they give an employee their feedback and the employee appears to be making changes for the first day or two only to go right back to the way they were before. If you desire to be promoted you have to make the necessary changes in your behavior and make them permanent.

Fourth, be a positive, uplifting person. Doing that, and that alone, will definitely get you noticed and make people want to work with you. Help the people around you. Don’t try to hold others back. Remember that if you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted. Be willing to teach others to do everything you know how to do. The way a good leader is identified is by observing how many employees they have helped to escalate beyond themselves. For example, the best Team Lead is one that has had the most members of their team go on to become Team Leads themselves. Leaders are people who grow other leaders. Be that person.

Fifth, be accountable, be reliable, and be completely trustworthy. Go the extra mile to learn everything you can, even if it’s not part of your job. Ask, "Why?". Understand the “why” behind what you do at your company, not just the “what”. A do-er learns the what, but a leader understands the why. So learn the why.

Opportunities for promotions are endless, whether within your own organization or a new one. The key is to set your goals and then work your tail off to make them happen. Don’t get discouraged if it takes longer than you would like it to. It may be that you just aren’t ready yet. And don’t give up the first time a promotion passes you by. Look at each failed promotion as an opportunity to learn and improve. If you keep your attitude positive, your work ethic strong, and your desires known, eventually an opportunity will arise that is perfect for you. Ask for it!

-Amy Rees Anderson (follow my daily blog)