You’re good at your job.
You enjoy your job.
And you want to get ahead in your job.
So there’s nothing more demoralizing than seeing your colleagues promoted ahead of you in your job. Right?
It typically takes at least 18 months to 2 years to get the first promotion. It can be tempting to quit if that time elapses without seeing any progress up the ladder. Sometimes life is just unfair. Indeed, it’s impossible to guarantee a promotion.
However, there are definitely ways to make it more likely. Intrigued?
Keep reading for a 10 step strategy for securing that job promotion.
1. Work Hard, and Then Harder
You’ve been employed for a reason.
The first step to promotion is outworking everyone else.
You have to be effective and efficient. You have to do the right things, in the right way. That comes from (quickly, if possible), applying yourself, and moving into mastery.
Get to work early. Leave late. Take short lunches. Don’t take sick days unless you have to. That hard work will pay off.
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2. Stay Positive
Hard work isn’t necessarily fun.
But you’re more likely to get a promotion with a smile on your face. Equally, do you really want a promotion in a job you don’t enjoy?
Set about problems and challenges with a can-do attitude. Stress is always an internal burden. Take ownership of your role and stay positive throughout. People will gravitate towards you, and your boss will notice you enjoying the work.
3. Solve Problems
Problem-solving is usually a central tenet of a job role.
All companies and organizations have problems. Some have more than others. Set yourself up as someone who can solve them. Speak up, offer solutions, and make suggestions.
Oh, and if you have a problem of your own? Don’t just whine about it. Sure, you may need managerial support to solve it. But go into that meeting with ideas of your own. That shows initiative.
4. Provide Value
Think about your role.
What’s the main reason you’re there? You need an iron grip on the basic reason you’re employed. Often times, that’s about money, client retention, generating ideas, and so on. Then do it.
Do what’s expected of you and more. If you’re there to generate sales, then make sales. In competitive markets, there’s nothing quite like an employee who generates revenue. The promotion is one step closer.
5. State Your Intentions
Tell your boss you want the promotion going.
That sounds simple. But all too often your supervisors might not know you’re interested in a role. This is especially true in large organizations with multiple offices. Telling your boss you want the job leaves nothing to the imagination.
You’ve shown ambition and stated your interest. Now they’ll have their eye on you. It’s time to stand out.
6. Steer Clear of Office Gossip
To secure a promotion you must stay focused.
Every office has its own set of politics and gossip. Avoid the water-cooler. It’s a distraction. Stay away from it all. Keep your head down and stick to the task at hand. Believe it or not, but your managers will know all the gossip to be had. Hell, they may even be part of it.
But it doesn’t matter. In general, you can’t afford for your name to be associated with anything but positivity. Your reputation proceeds you when it comes to promotion.
7. Be a Team-Player
You can do all that while staying part of the team.
It’s essential that you continue to be a team player. After all, a promotion may well put you in direct charge of the same team. You want to have a solid social standing at work.
Go to work events, socialize at lunchtime, and make an active contribution to team tasks.
8. Be Helpful
Everything we’ve already been through makes you helpful.
But there’s more to be done.
Demonstrate your willingness to go above and beyond. Ask your supervisor if there’s anything you can do to help. This is about taking a pro-active approach to getting a promotion. It feeds into being hardworking too.
You’ve already done what you needed to. Now it’s time to see what else needs doing.
Taking on extra responsibility, bit by bit may even help you acquire the skills required to be successful in a higher position. That’s of immense importance when it comes to promotion. Your boss knows you can already do the job.
9. Show Commitment
You want the promotion. But you need to earn it first.
That takes commitment to your current role. You’re already hard-working, conscientious and a team player. You’re solving problems and offering solutions. These are all vital steps.
But stick around too. Promotions don’t happen overnight. We’ve already seen how it can take up to two years. It may take more. It’s a fine line. You don’t want to be taken for a ride, working hard for no reward.
But you absolutely have to be seen as committed to the organization to be promoted.
10. Make Yourself Indispensable
Everything here has been about making yourself indispensable to your organization.
This gives you leverage. Heck, the company can’t afford for you to leave. That equates to power. You’d be surprised how many people in corporate settings, in this position, get a promotion, or raise, simply by asking for it.
Likewise, in many situations these days, your reputation will enter the marketplace too. For instance, your LinkedIn profile will enable competitor organizations to contact you. You may be headhunted.
Try subtly feeding it into conversation with your boss. If they know you might leave, they may well offer you incentives (like a promotion) to stay.
Oh, and don’t get offered the promotion? No matter. You’ve already got a job lined up elsewhere.
Time to Get a Job Promotion
There you have it: a proven 10-step strategy to getting the job promotion of your dreams.
Promotions aren’t easy to come by. But knowing what your bosses are looking for will help give you an edge. Hopefully, the information here will get you one step closer to getting ahead at work.
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