In the cut-throat competition of the modern market, it isn’t easy to get a promotion. Experience is no longer the deciding factor for promotions. Companies are looking at many other aspects of their employees. What are they? And how can you work on them?
In this article, we’ll find the answer to these questions and help you figure out :
How to Climb Through the Ranks Quickly?
Make your Boss’s Job (or Life) Easy
Landing a good impression on your boss will certainly help you in getting a promotion. Many people know this fact, but they make novice mistakes like:
- Doing too much flattery.
- Focusing on doing tasks other than work.
- Doing office-politics.
The above cases can make you a favorite, but that doesn’t ensure a promotion. Instead of focusing on these areas, you should focus on your work. If you keep things organized and keep your performance high, your boss will not have to worry about your work.
Follow the instructions properly and keep your work impressive. This way, your boss will get time to focus on other areas. Even the superiors of your boss will begin to notice your work if you keep it up.
Help Other Employees
While you keep your performance high, you should also focus on teamwork. You can shine as a leader only when you can work in harmony with your team. Otherwise, you’d seem irresponsible and useless for the organization.
Always be ready to help your fellow professionals. Whether it’s about creating a beautiful presentation or lending a hand in a project, when you over-deliver in such tasks, it shows.
And such activities always get the attention of upper management. So don’t worry about your work getting overlooked.
Make Your Superiors Aware
Nothing worse than getting overlooked. You might begin to feel helpless if your work doesn’t get any attention. But if you don’t make your intentions clear, your superiors might not consider you in the race. Don’t be like Ted Lawson from ‘Small Wonder’.
You should ensure that you make your intentions clear with your superiors. If you want to advance in the organization, let them know.
When you tell them that you want a specific role or a promotion, they might guide you in this process too. That information would be vital because it can help you tremendously in growing as a professional and getting that much-wanted promotion.
Sometimes the management isn’t even aware that you’re eyeing for a promotion. Making this clear will get rid of that confusion.
Show Leadership
Remember that it’s not the team but the player who gets the promotion. So, while you should focus on being a team-player, act as a leader as well.
This means you should take initiatives, help fellow employees, manage the communication, and perform the crucial things which other team members might shy away from.
You will easily stand out from others if you can display leadership skills. There’s always a demand for good leaders in an organization.
What if you don’t have leadership skills? You might not possess leadership skills, and many people don’t. But you shouldn’t worry. You should start working on developing these skills. Read more on: 6 Key elements which will make you a better leader.
Over-deliver
Want to shine in your job?
Start giving it your 110%.
Employees who work harder than others always outshine their competition. Nothing beats hard work. When you are over-delivering on your tasks, you will not only become essential but indispensable for the company as well.
No company wants to lose a great employee. And to become a great employee, you will have to become a hard worker. You should strive to complete your tasks before their deadlines, communicate effectively, and contribute in other areas of your organization as well.
When you complete your projects, give them visuals. Use presentations to show how you completed a particular task. Your bosses will ask you questions, and you should know how to answer them.
Track Your Achievements
It’s nearly impossible for a boss to remember every achievement of his employees. No one else can keep track of what you’ve achieved except you. So keep count of your successes so you can use them when the time comes.
When someone asks you why you deserve a promotion, you should be able to list out your achievements in your answer. Your answer will become more credible and compelling with this little addition. You’ll be able to brag better among your peers too.
Learn in-demand Skills
You could be a great team player, hard worker and leader, but if you don’t have in-demand skills, you might not get the promotion anyway.
The current market is much different from the one a decade ago. Now, companies are looking for employees who have relevant skills and keep their skillset up to date with the market’s demands.
To keep up with the demands of the market you should learn the latest skills. Doing so is easy. You can join classes and start your learning journey there. Or you can take an online course and study at your own pace. For example, if you are a software engineer, you can try full stack development courses as full stack developers earn almost as twice as software developers without full stack development knowledge.
Having an updated CV will make your case much stronger.
Get Promotion Somewhere Else
Sometimes an employee just doesn’t get promoted. The reasons could be beyond your control.
If you’ve evaluated your employer correctly, and you know that you won’t get a promotion then perhaps it is time to switch companies. But you should do so only when you’ve tried everything else. Otherwise bagging a promotion in some other company would be quite tricky.
With a great CV and experience, getting a better role in another company will be easy.
Time to Work on that Promotion
It’s all about commitment and dedication.
Career management is important not just for earning money but also to derive satisfaction and consistent progression. If you think of your career as a personal enrichment process, it is one of the most important investments that you will make in your life.
Getting a promotion isn’t easy. But it’s worth the effort. You can get high returns for the hard work you put in. Now, it’s time to put these into action and work on that promotion.
How to maintain a work-life balance?
Work can sometimes get really hectic with deadlines, projects, and promotions. It is essential to maintain a work-life balance for a happy and fulfilled life. Maintaining a work-life balance involves taking care of minor and significant aspects of your life and prioritising them accordingly. You can start with taking time out for yourself. It should include time for physical exercise and some hobbies. This helps in keeping you mentally and physically fit. You should also take vacations at least once a year to blow off steam and relax. Furthermore, sparing out time for family and friends on a regular basis is also essential. A complete life is a culmination of a healthy work and personal life.
How to continuously excel in your field?
It is essential to continuously work towards improving to thrive in the professional world. You should always have an open mind to learn wherever you find an opportunity. You should give your 100% to any group projects or individual assignments to enhance your knowledge. Additionally, you should learn new skills pertaining to your professions through online courses or boot camps. It will make you confident and help instil advance-level knowledge, which will prove to be beneficial for your career in the long run. Also, you should try to gain knowledge from your superiors and peers. This will boost your overall development.
How to make a good rapport with your coworkers?
It is essential to have good relations with the people you work with. It makes working much more fun. Building a good relationship demands time and effort. You can start by having a helping attitude towards your coworkers. You should also try to be a good friend by being available when they need you and making them feel important. You should also welcome the new employees heartily and make them feel at home. Additionally, you should take teamwork seriously and use it to bond with each other.