To get a promotion at work means you have been noticed and your work acknowledged. No matter how hard you work or how smart you are, if you don’t place yourself around people and work opportunities that would challenge you for better results, you will likely not be promoted.
Asking for a promotion can be one of the most stressful experiences in your career–especially in today’s uncertain economy. Why? “Because you know you’re putting yourself at some level of risk,” says Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and author of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant; How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job.“The often legitimate fears of appearing too ambitious, or not being focused enough on doing your best work, can trigger unnecessary missteps. However, if you’re strategic about your pursuit, you can change the frustrating dynamic of feeling undervalued.”
David Parnell, a legal recruiter, communication coach and author of In-House: A Lawyer’s Guide to Getting a Corporate Legal Position, agrees. He says; “It should be no surprise that, in comparison to only a few decades ago, today’s average employee has larger workloads–and more (and better) competition to contend with. Add to this the highly evolved social and political networks one needs to master, and you have one tough road to travel,” he says. “To move from employment offer to promotion without a single misstep is unlikely, and mistakes happen often enough.”
A promotion, by definition, is a form of advancement or movement into new territory, he adds. “This means learning new information and trying new things, which, by their very nature promote mistakes in some way, shape or form. The key lies not so much in avoiding mistakes, but more so in keeping the mistakes as small as possible, and effectively cleaning up after them.”
Here are some tips for getting a promotion at work.
Stay Updated and Informed At Work
To get a promotion at work you have to stay updated and informed about your tasks, organization projects, industry and generation information. Ability to think on your feet about important information to the team and management means you care not just about your immediate tasks but others around you.
Improve Your Skills and Take on Responsibility
To get a promotion at work, seek to improve your skills and take on more responsibilities. You can ask your supervisor for these extra tasks or alternatively take your own initiative on matters you feel need attention. However, ensure to align with your boss so that you do not end up delivering on tasks that will not add value to you or the organization. This will help improve your career by constantly learning new things.
Be Professional and Passionate
On being professional and passionate as a route to promotion means your act professionally in all situations that break out. If you disagree with people or ideas, try to react by giving your opinion professionally and not being consumed by emotions.
Dress Smart and Keep a Good Relationship With Your Bosses
Dress how you want to be addressed, don’t wait till you’re a team lead or manager to dress and build good relationships with your boss. Keep this tip in your arsenal and go about it professionally. Build up your personal brand at work and also your relationship with your bosses to get a promotion at work.
Be Positive, Committed and Know Your Goal
Don’t count the days, make the days count for you. Be committed to your job and organization’s goal as well as your desire to get promoted. This will inform your ability to take on extra responsibilities and help in your quest and desire to develop your skills.
Avoid Meddling in Office Talk and Politics.
Small talk and office politics are distracting to your career goals, they can keep you focused on other things rather than your tasks, skills and job. What you want to do is focus on activities and things that grow you and move you closer to your goals.
