Want a Promotion 10 Ways to Get It

Want a Promotion 10 Ways to Get It Welcome to Recruiter QA, where we pose employment-related questions to the experts and share their answers Have a question youd like to ask? Leave it in the comments, and you might just see it in the next installment of Recruiter QATodays Question What tips do you have for employees who want to make a good impression and snag a promotion? What are the best ways to get on managements radar?1. Toot Your Own Horn But SubtlyYou have to toot your own horn, because no one else will do it for you. It isbetter to not use blatant or brash techniques and avoid blunt force when you toot your own horn. Use subtle techniques that put you in the spotlight1. Prepare for meetings so you can make intelligent comments on the points being discussed. 2. Volunteer for a project that gets visibility with a senior manager. 3. Meet your deadlines. If you run into stumbling gruppes on a project, let the manager or team lead know and ask for an extension. 4. Be positive. Dont be the negative person in the office that people want to run from. And dont feed the negative company grapevine. 5. Respond in a positive manner, not a tentative manner, when given a task. Say, Ill be happy to do that (even if you dread it).6. Turn in mistake-free work. 7. Give discretionary effort. Discretionary effort is more than just going the extra mile it is giving your intellectual powers, being committed emotionally to the company and/or the project, and offering creative ideas for nagging problems. Karla Brandau, KarlaBrandau.com 2. Take on Jobs That are Larger Than Your Current PositionShow that you want to learn, grow, and be invaluable for your company. This may include working longer hours, arriving to the office early, and building informal teams of people to complete projects. Joshua Evans, Enthusiastic You 3. Hitch Your Wagon to a StarFind the mentor whos moving up and help that mentor get to wherever it is they want to go. Barr y Maher, BarryMaher.com 4. Its All About BalanceFirst, balance listening with initiative. Spend plenty of time learning all you can from your higher-ups and peers. Find out who the key leaders are and greet them by name when you see them. When you get the chance to speak with them, find out if its okay to ask a few questions (ones that show youve gotten acquainted with the companys mission). Embody the values of the organization, demonstrating that you fit right in. Second, balance passion with work ethic. Demonstrate the same level of work ethic for mundane tasks as you do for those tasks youre passionate about. Sometimes, your work on the project that isnt glitz says more about your work ethic than anything else. If you can show passion for the smaller task youll do at the bottom of the career ladder, youll be more likely to move up and on to tasks youre more passionate about. Finally, balance ambition with humility. Employers love ambition, but be aya yours doesnt make you look c ocky. Many call this balance humbitious (humble/ambitious). Your boss may value your insight, so let them know youve got ideas, but that youre hungry to help with theirs first. Tim Elmore, Growing Leaders 5. Be Clear About Your AmbitionsBeing British (an infamously reserved culture, with an aversion to being seen bragging about personal or professional achievements), Ive found that the key to being noticed is to be unfailingly honest about your contributions, successes, and failures. Dont shy away from claiming credit where it is due and own your mistakes as well. Always reflect on both success and failure constructively and honestly with your managers. Offer to write up case studies to benefit colleagues and team members, allowing them to learn from your actions and aiding your managers in training. Most importantly, be clear and direct about your ambitions. The number of managers Ive worked with whove had no idea their employees were keen on advancement until they were explicitl y told is astonishing. Never assume your manager knows you want advancement you have to tell them. James Armstrong, Roman Blinds Direct 6. Stay CurrentStay current with the news, including internal and external company dealings. Read, read, and read some more Managers and executives appreciate someone who can hold a conversation with them vs. a bobblehead doll that just nods in agreement with nothing to add. I cannot emphasize enough how important and impressive it is when a young professional knows what they are talking about. Participate in intelligent conversations where you can add value and make people step back and say, Hmmm Youre right. I didnt think of it that way. Brenna Smith, SheNOW 7. Make a PlanThe first step is to have a plan. If you have a strategic plan for the direction in which you want your career to go, you will be more likely to keep acquiring new skills and working on a variety of projects that will get you noticed with your management. Once you have your plan, you should communicate that plan to your management Let them know that youre hoping to acquire certain skill sets and how those skills will benefit your company and team. When they know you are planning for your long-term career success, theyll be more likely to promote you if and when a standort comes up that fits within your plan. Leila Hock, Alignment Coaching8. Demonstrate Authentic PassionGetting on managements radar and getting that promotion requires authentic passion and hard work. Be direct. Share ideas and ask for feedback from your boss. If a specific job may be available, say youd like to be considered and ask what steps you might take to get it. Your authentic passion is crucial, because a phony egotist is easy to spot and nobody promotes that person. Laura MacLeod, From the Inside Out Project 9. Consider the Company CultureBecause every organization has a unique culture, the best ways to get on managements radar will vary from organization to organization. For instance, in some organizations, the way to get on the radar is to be wildly creative. In other organizations, being highly productive might be the key. Best advice? Ask managers what they did to get noticed for their promotions. Larry Sternberg, Talent Plus 10. Practice the Skills Youll Need for Your Next JobPeople prefer to fill roles with people who have already done the role or handled the job requirements before. It reduces training time, and the hire has a better chance of succeeding. So figure out what skills you will need in your next role and start practicing them. Make sure to update your resume to reflect these new skills Itll be easy for management to promote you if youve already shown them you have the right skills for the job. Mike McRitchie, MikeMcRitchie.com .openingBlock img width 100% height 100% max-width 640px display block clear both align center float none margin-left auto margin-right auto margin-bottom 20px .openingBlock .alignleft width 100% height 100% max-width 640px display block clear both align center float none margin-left auto margin-right auto .middleBlock img border-radius 150px -webkit-border-radius 150px -moz-border-radius 150px box-shadow 0 0 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, .8) -webkit-box-shadow 0 0 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, .8) -moz-box-shadow 0 0 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, .8) .middleBlock strong font-size 24px color 1f77a0 .middleBlock .contributorBlurb max-width640px displayinline-block clearnone font-stylenormal font-size 16px color 666666 background f9f9f9 .middleBlock .contributorBlurb p font-style normal font-size 16px color 666666 .middleBlock .contributorBlurb .socialIcon border-radius 0 -webkit-border-radius 0 -moz-border-radius 0 box-shadow none -webkit-box-shadow none -moz-box-shadow none