How to get noticed for Promotion

If you are considering asking about promotion opportunities at your job, you are probably wondering what steps you can take to ensure that your boss sees you as a valuable employee. To advance at work, you will need to come up with a realistic plan about how you can best demonstrate your ability to handle more responsibility and handle the challenges of your job. This will enhance your value to the company and better convince your manager that you are worthy of a promotion. Here are some do’s and don’ts when asking for promotion opportunities:

Preparation: Start putting your self forward. Before you ask for a promotion at work, start accepting more tasks at work by asking for them. This not only demonstrates that you know how to handle your time effectively; it also shows that you are willing to go the extra mile for your company. Be careful to only ask for things that are pertinent to the job you have to avoid trying to outdo your immediate colleagues or worse yet, a manager. Once assigned, complete these new tasks consistently and to the best of your ability.

Do Become Your Manager’s Most Reliable Teammate. One of the best ways to capture the positive attention from management that you need to be considered for promotion is by becoming the most reliable member of the team. That means being willing and open to coming up with ideas to enhance your role on the team in addition to improving your skills on the job. You will set an example for others and become your manager’s right hand, which will go far when it comes time to seek a promotion.

Don’t Expect a Promotion at Your Review. Many employees make the mistake of thinking that they are entitled to some form of promotion at their annual employment review. This is not the case. Most employers will be reviewing the performance of their staff periodically over the course of the year and that means you have multiple opportunities to shine at work. Do your best to demonstrate your commitment to the overall mission of your company and you will improve your chances of getting a promotion when you ask for it.

Do Get More Training in Your Chosen Career Path. A great way to enhance your ability to get a promotion at work is by seeking out opportunities to get additional training in your chosen career path. If you have a management role in mind, consider taking some business management courses. Don’t assume that you currently have all the skills that you need for advancement. By letting your manager know you are serious enough about your career to get more education or training, you will impress them enough to take you seriously when you ask for that promotion.

Be better than the competition. Remember that you may not be the only employee after a promotion which means there is no room for complacency. So, on a day today basis ensure you do the following:
• Keep a record of the successes and failures you’ve had at your job.
• Be who your boss wants you to be. Be adaptable!
• Research your new positions and brainstorm ideas for improvement in the company.
• Emphasize your strengths over other candidates.

Maximise your profile and reputation. Often managers and decision makers observe employees from a distance long before a promotion is made. Maximize your profile and reputation by making good choices regarding conduct and behavior, the relationships you make in the workplace and how you go about your daily tasks. Think about the following things and make some adjustments if you need to:
• Your reputation and how others may perceive you. Whom do you associate with?
• Who are your friends at work?
• Who do you talk to for ‘long’ periods of time?
• Avoid the people with a bad reputation both professionally and to an extent personally.
• Others like you want to be promoted and are drive achievers. Stick around people like you. It is good for your reputation. In addition, you will be more aware of what your competition is doing.
• Some people work from 9 to 5 only for the money and without any desire to move ahead in their career.
• Others, which include decision makers, will associate you with achievers, which is good for your promotion prospects.

Patience. Be prepared that you may have to play a waiting game.  Promotional opportunities with in an organisation are often carefully orchestrated usually requiring a lot of things falling in to place at once.  Keep gently pushing for your goal but have some awareness of what might be going on around you.

What Next ? If all these things are failing to move your promitional options forward alternative promotion tactics include:

• Networking: Establish a list of contacts and use them to further your career promotions
• Helping people in power (they often have too much on their plate so help them out). Covering their shortcomings and taking any small jobs they have. They may be new in their job as managers and need help to concentrate on their high priority tasks; the overall strategy is to establish a good relation and trust in order to build favors.

Please note this is not a direct promotion tactic but if you cannot execute any other promotion strategies, then this may be worth a try.
Good Luck.