Welcome back from the weekend, everyone! Today, we’ve got an exciting blog that will relate to every single one of our careers. No matter where you’re at in your professional life, what industry you’re working in, or what your role looks like today… the truth of the matter is that we will all be ‘up for promotions’ at certain points throughout our careers. So, in the event that this occurs, how do you ensure you’re ready for a promotion? How do you become your best advocate? And how do you achieve a promotion in general? Find out EVERYTHING you need to know below!

Securing Promotions in Your Career…

Be Proactive: Take a moment and think about your ‘go-to’ teammate. Who do others view as the person who can get things done? Who proactively addresses challenges instead of staying reactive in their role? If there’s a person who comes to mind immediately, then they are likely a model employee and someone who you should aspire to become. Leadership will undoubtedly evaluate this trait as they consider promoting future leaders and appointing management.
Find Solutions: On the same note as the above, when you identify problems or challenges in your processes, make sure to find solutions and a ‘fix’. Simply calling attention to a break won’t create long-term efficiency or change, so continuously reflect on how you solve problems on your team. If you feel stuck on a team that tends to ‘open a bunch of cans of worms’ without digging to the root of an issue, we encourage you to create the change required to progress. Whether it looks like calling a team meeting, proposing a weekly problem-solving session, creating a ‘brainstorm’ virtual board where all teammates can contribute ideas, or any other method of collaboration, guiding the improvement is a phenomenal way to expose your leadership and growth to management.
Seek Leadership Opportunities: While engaging in the above exercise, and leading ‘problem solving’ opportunities is a great way to get in front of and display promotional-readiness to leadership, seek out other opportunities to transform into a leader! Does your company offer employee resource groups (ERGs) for employees to connect together? Are there opportunities to engage in mentorship as a mentor to another employee or intern? Finding ways to cultivate new skills both in and outside of your role within an organization is an amazing method for solidifying your reputation as a capable leader at any company!
Address and Discuss Goals, Often: Seeking input and advice from your management is another key strategy in ensuring you’re aware of how you and your work are perceived. So, schedule frequent and consistent check-ins with the people who will one day contribute to your promotion conversations. Don’t be afraid to ask what you could be doing better and ways to improve so that you can advance to the next level and take on more work in your role!
- Extra Tip: Make your desire to advance known! Stay mindful of the wording and way that you frame your hope of advancing your career on the ‘hierarchy’, but staying complacent and assuming that management will ‘just know’ that you hope to achieve a promotion is not going to help you accelerate. Talk to your manager about the title you’re chasing… what skills are required? What does leadership look for in ‘X’ employees? How can you take on projects over the next year to intentionally cultivate the skills needed for the next step?

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