Career progression is a popular professional goal for a lot of people; however, earning a promotion can be tough. In order to advance your career within your business, you need to catch the attention of your superiors and convince them that you are the right person for the job. It is true that your performance, skills and experience matter when it comes to qualifying for a promotion, but there are other things that you can do to ensure that your managers take notice of you. Read on for all the tips that you need to get ahead at work.
Demonstrate your value
If you want to ensure that you are considered the next time an opportunity for a promotion arises, you need to be memorable. Employers are much more likely to remember you if you have shown them your value, be mindful of this when contributing. This might mean making a conscious effort to ensure that you are adding value to each interaction that you have with your managers and colleagues. You might also want to think about making an effort to improve your skills to ensure that you are consistently delivering better results. If you want to get that promotion, you might find that you have a better chance by securing an additional skill or two. It shows again that you can take the initiative and that you are willing to put the work in to ensure your progression. Think about something that offers you transferable skills, like an MBA certificate. You do need to secure a good provider so that your CV looks as impressive as possible; for example, LSE offers an MBA essentials online certificate course. You can find the course you want and showcase your dedication to self-improvement.
Emulate others who have been recognised
One of the easiest ways to work out how to secure the promotion that you want is to take a closer look at other people within the business who have received promotions or recognition for their work in previous years. This allows you to identify any common achievements, personality traits or habits among your successful co-workers; you can then begin to display those attributes yourself. For example, being a team player is important, but some companies take this a step further, rewarding members of staff who routinely show up to and participate in company events – even outside of working hours. Other businesses prioritise collaboration; they prefer to promote employees who have shown that they can work well with other members of staff across teams and roles.
Ask for advice from your supervisor
If you want a better idea of what you need to do to get a promotion, then you can always simply ask. However, you should do some preparation before having this conversation with your manager. First, put together a case for why you think you deserve a promotion, then present it to your supervisor. Show them what you have done within your role, what you’ve achieved and how this has benefited the business. Next, express your desire for progression and ask what the likelihood of a promotion is. Finally, ask your supervisor what you can do to help ensure that your name is put forward when an opportunity arises.
Get noticed
Securing a promotion obviously has a lot to do with working hard, but that isn’t all. If your hard work and effort go unnoticed, then you remain unlikely to win the promotion. You need to get noticed. There are several ways that you can subtly draw some attention to yourself. Firstly, you need to look for some opportunities to showcase your skills and knowledge, perhaps in meetings or at your performance reviews. You could also volunteer to take on projects or get involved in company events, whether in the office or outside of working hours. Do your best to be seen as friendly and professional by your employers both in your attitude and the way that you present yourself.
Be a leader
Oftentimes, a promotion comes with more responsibility and a position of leadership. If you want a promotion, then you need to show that you are ready for this, that you can be a leader. This means doing your best to become a role model to your colleagues and working hard to gain their respect. When an opportunity to lead arises, you need to volunteer in order to demonstrate your ability to motivate your team and produce results. Always perform well and try to become indispensable to your managers and the company as a whole.
Show some initiative
No business is perfect; there will always be a few problems or inefficiencies. You can separate yourself from your colleagues by showing some initiative and identifying the problems, and posing a solution to them. This also demonstrates your leadership potential. Take a look around your workplace to try and find things that affect productivity, prove ineffective, pose hazards to staff, prevent the company from reaching its long-term goals or generate unnecessary costs. Once you have identified the problems, you need to start thinking about how they can be dealt with. Create a plan and present it to management. Employers love a self-starter, and by taking the initiative to identify areas of weakness and fortify them, you will likely have an advantage over the other candidates for a promotion.
Become a source of positivity
The truth is that your attitude matters just as much as your ability to do the job. If you’re seen as someone who is always complaining, it gives the impression that you don’t really want to be there, or that you don’t enjoy your role and when this is the case, why would your bosses offer you a promotion? You need to make an effort to be a people person. Do your best to always stay calm and be positive, especially when under pressure. This, again, is an important quality for a leader to possess. When you keep a level head, you are much less likely to make a mistake. It allows you to deliver consistent results. You can also have a positive impact on the rest of your team, who will be buoyed by your positive attitude.
Maintain a solid work ethic
In addition to a positive attitude, you do also need to ensure that you are always performing to the best of your ability in the workplace. This means consistently demonstrating a strong work ethic. You want to always be seen as a hard worker. In order to secure a promotion, you need to show your employers that you have mastered your current role and that you are, therefore, ready to take on new responsibilities. You need to be prepared to do anything and everything necessary to set yourself apart from your colleagues and impress your managers. Consistency is key whatever your daily tasks; you should always do them to the best of your ability. Try to always be on time; punctuality is an important trait to demonstrate. It shows that you are reliable, that you can be counted on.
The bottom line
Proving to your employers that you deserve a promotion may take some time. You may have to pay your dues because seniority is taken into account. If you want to ensure that you are in the best position to earn your promotion, then take on board the above advice and think about how you conduct yourself at work. Demonstrate the desirable traits and ensure that you are memorable to your employers for the right reasons.
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