Very few people accept a position with a business with the intention of staying in that same role forever. If you want a job that excites you, pays well and stand out against the other internal competition, you’ll have to be prepared to climb the ladder.
If you want to get a promotion, you’ll need to be a team player, take on work outside of your job description and have proven results. It’s a difficult balance to strike, but these tips can help:
Do your job well
Don’t settle for being adequate at your job, be excellent. Go above and beyond the call of duty and be proactive and solve problems before you’re asked to. Individuals that give suggestions, provide solutions and are easy to deal with stand out amongst the group. Always under promise and over deliver and most importantly, do your job well. It will show you are able to take on more responsibility and potentially mentor an employee.
Ask for feedback
By asking for feedback, you are clearly stating that you want to get better and constantly improve what you do. Don’t just settle for “good job”, especially if it was for a project or task you tackled for the first time. Ask what you did well, and where you can improve as this gives you the power to change things for the better.
Take on more responsibility
A promotion invariably means more responsibility, so you need to show that you can take to a promotion well by asking for more to do. It will show that you’re prepared to tackle a larger or more complicated workload and aren’t just looking for an increase in pay. It also gives your boss the option of gradually giving you the more important duties, rather than just dropping you in a new position.
Don’t be afraid to be vocal
There is nothing wrong with reminding your boss of your accomplishments with specific examples. Mentioning that you’ve done x, y, z and that revenue has increased in your team by however much is great. Saying you’re the best relationship manager in the company is much less persuasive. Remember this may be what you are already being paid a salary for and not reason for promotion.
Be a team player
A big part of moving up in a company is being liked. People in higher positions need to be respected, fair and able to interact pleasantly with people across all levels. Don’t be soft or shy away from difficulty, but be positive. Stay out of work politics, senior managers are often aware of who is involved, and those causing disruption will not be favoured. The more connected and engaged you are with your colleagues, the more they will know about you and the more you’ll stand out when it comes time to consider you for promotion.
