I've been thinking this morning about one of my recent projects, and a woman in her forties who was part of the team I was training. She had been with the company for less than five years, was the sole breadwinner in her family, and was deeply bitter about her level of pay and position. On the one hand, you couldn't fault her. She was (and is) bright, capable, and had a lot of experience. But her face was stuck in a perpetual look of disgust, and she was convinced that others had been continually elevated above her with no good reason.
I've met a lot of people in this situation, operating under the assumption that promotions and advancement are things that are "given" out by companies. When you think this way, and you see others continue to pass you professionally, it feels terrible. Why have others been chosen? I often have people tell me that they were denied promotion because of thier gender, age, race, religion, weight, or simply because their boss doesn't like them. While bigotry does exist, it's not usually what is at work here.
It's a matter of perspective, and here is a better one. Promotions are not "given" they are "earned." And even if you think you work hard, there are certain activities that will earn you a promotion, and they are not always obvious.
Here is how to get promoted:
1) Be a Star Performer
This isn't as hard as it sounds, at least in most positions. You don't need to have a high IQ or a fancy degree. You do need to work hard, apply yourself, continue to improve upon your weaknesses, and follow the company rules. Please your boss and your customers. Continue to improve your job performance until you can say that you are in the top 20% of your peer group. Who decides if you are a star? Your boss and his or her boss.
2) Stack the Deck in Your Favor
To get promoted, you need a strategy that addresses both skills and people. Pick the job you want to be promoted into and get a copy of the description.
SKILLS:
By volunteering for projects and asking for help from your boss, gradually build up experiences that will qualify you for that job. Need management experience? Ask to manage the temp. Need budgeting experience? Ask your boss to let you sit in on the budget meeting. Build up the experience before the interview.
PEOPLE:
Find out who will influence the promotion decision. The hiring manager is key, but HR, peers, and other managers may have a big say. Get to know these people. Be helpful to them. Tell them about your goals for promotion someday. Win them over before you ever interview.
3) Interview Effectively
By now, you are qualified for the job and you have some raving fans on the interview team. Learn how to interview well, and go in prepared to knock it out of the park.
These three things will eliminate most of your obstacles to promotion. There are other factors, but 90% of the battle is going through these steps intentionally. How do I know? I used these tricks to advance in my own career faster than anyone thought possible, taking on jobs that used to go to people 7-10 years my senior.
So that's how to get promoted. Now that you know how, what's your next career move?
Excellent post. Working hard, building your skills, and knowing how to sell yourself are great ways to get ahead. I also wrote about how to raise your visibility at work so that you are the chosen one when it's time for a promotion: http://www.phcconsulting.com/WordPress/2009/04/17/how-to-raise-your-profile-within-your-organization/.
Posted by: Peggy McKee | August 20, 2009 at 05:25 PM
Thanks for the link Peggy!
Posted by: Cheri | August 25, 2009 at 08:33 PM