Blog

How to Improve Your Chances of Promotion at Work

Improving your chances of promotion at work

The professional world is a battlefield

It is a constant competition to be and remain the best. Within a company, in most cases, it’s a battle for survival. However, among the elite, it’s a battle for superiority. You cannot afford to remain dormant at work, or you might end up in a rut or, even worse, get thrown to the wolves. Here are a few tips on how to improve your chances of a promotion at work.

1. Learn a New Skill

Besides retaining your position, learning new skills will help your chances of securing a promotion. Learning a new skill goes a long way to upgrading your skill base and displaying the competency required for promotion. However, be sure you completely understand what is required for the desired position.

Generally, the best skills to learn include Human Resource Management, Management, Administration, Psychology, Professional Writing, and Graphics Design. Etc.

2. Act Like You Already Have the Promotion

One of the best ways to put yourself in the running for a promotion is to act like you’re already at that next level. When you engage in behaviors that show you’ve got the maturity, organizational skills, and technical competence to perform in a more senior role, it’s easier for your manager to justify promoting you. For example, when you attend a department meeting, try to ask questions that demonstrate your ability to perform beyond the scope of your current position. When you show that you can think about the bigger picture and the broader implications of new initiatives or projects, your manager will take notice and begin to see you in a different light.

Acting as if you’ve already been promoted also requires avoiding certain behaviors, however. Engaging in work gossip, arriving late for meetings, or failing to deliver on commitments, no matter how small, will cause others to wonder if you’re truly ready to be promoted.

3. Get Certified

A guaranteed way to improve your promotion chances is to get certified. Being certified by a professional body_ in as many aspects of your career path as you possibly can_ will make you an asset to the company.

If you can, go a step further and obtain a license to certify others.

Imagine it; you are an employee with the ability to certify other employees. People will get used to treating you like you’re in charge, and appointing you accordingly would be the natural progression.

4. Ask for it

After all, is said and done, when it comes down to it, you can just ask for the promotion. There is a very real possibility that your boss has no idea about your career aspirations and doesn’t think about your career development.

You will get many opportunities to discuss your chances for promotion, but few times are as prime as when you complete a big project.

Here are some useful tips for discussing a promotion with your boss:

Discuss your interest and ideas about contributing to the company’s growth. Making it clear that you’re focusing on building your skill set in a particular area so that you can put yourself in a better position for promotion. Ask your manager for suggestions on areas to pursue.

To be blunt, Say, “I’m interested in being promoted in the next year or two. Can we talk about how I can reach that goal?” While your manager may not have all the answers, they will most likely appreciate your ambition and will probably think about ways to help you.

Sometimes, the most effective way to get what you want in your career is to simply ask for it. Other times, you’ll need to put yourself in the right position for others to see your capability beyond your current job. Sometimes, it might require both. By demonstrating to others that you have the attitude, skills, and willingness to perform at the next level, you’ll be in a much better position for promotion.