8 Tips for Landing That Well-Deserved Promotion

Getting yourself noticed enough to earn a well-deserved promotion can be tricky, but there are clear ways of aiding your chances. Here are the top tips for landing yourself a well-deserved promotion.

1. Observe Others Recently Promoted.

One important first step in getting a promotion is to observe those who have previously been promoted in your workplace, especially recently. What are those workers doing that you could do? How did their promotions come about? What do they have in common?

If you notice that your workplace tends to promote people with good social skills and connections, focusing your efforts there makes sense. If you notice team players tend to be promoted, you can volunteer to help with team projects. Modeling yourself after the recently promoted is one way to distinguish yourself with management so they will look at you the same way and consider a potential job offer. 

2. Ask For It (and for Feedback).

If you think you’re ready for a promotion, ask for a meeting with your supervisor to discuss the possibility. At the meeting, ask for a promotion directly and a timeline for the promotion to begin. 

If your supervisor isn’t willing to promote you, ask for feedback about your performance and what needs to happen to receive a promotion. At the conclusion of this meeting, you should know where you stand in your current position and what you need to do to be considered in the future. 

3. Look the Part. 

You should always dress professionally in the workplace unless you’re told not to, but it’s also important to dress for the position you want rather than the position you currently have. People, as a general rule, form many of their impressions due to appearances, so showing up scruffy or too casual can work against you. 

On the other hand, people are likely to see you as worthy of a higher position if you already look the part, so this should make getting promoted easier. 

4. Stay Positive. 

If you want to be promoted, you have to keep a positive attitude. This cannot be faked well, so you need to find genuine expressions of positivity that’ll be real. There are silver linings to almost every situation, but it can be easy to lose sight of the positive aspects of your job and focus only on things that bother you. 

If you aren’t feeling the positivity of the job you’re in anymore, you can make an intentional list of things that are positive, then shift your focus to them gradually. Keep your list in a drawer where you can take it out every day at work and re-read it if that’s what it takes to be more positive about work.

5. Be a Problem Solver. 

Workers who seek to solve problems will be seen as valuable and as good candidates for promotions. Usually, the higher the position, the more problems there are to solve. 

You don’t have to wait for new problems to arise, either. There are always problems and inefficiencies that can be worked on at any given time. The result will be a workplace that runs smoothly and more profitably. These factors can get you noticed and put you in line for a promotion.

6. Stay Motivated. 

Sometimes it takes a while to get a promotion, so it’s important to stay motivated until that time comes. Motivation can be hard to sustain, so when it starts to falter, you need to look to your goals and your “why” to become fully motivated again. 

Why would a promotion benefit you? Whether your motivation is to make more money for your family, get a more flexible schedule, or break through to other opportunities that can only come after a promotion, your list of reasons should be reviewed frequently so you can keep your eye on the prize. 

7. Look for High Impact Tasks.

Visibility is often the name of the game for being promoted, so look for high-impact tasks and take them on. When you complete a task successfully, look for ways to present it or to discuss it in department meetings, or ask your supervisor to give feedback on it. 

High-impact tasks have higher profiles and can showcase your skills and abilities so the powers-that-be know what you can do. If you’re not sure what constitutes a high-impact task, look for one that has a clear impact on future operations or that improves the bottom line directy.

8. Make the Case.

It’s unusual to get promoted when it doesn’t make business sense. Sometimes, your superiors can’t see how it makes sense, however, and you may have to make the case for yourself for them to see it. 

If you can understand how a promotion would benefit the company, you should make that case to your supervisor or to the direct decision-maker in your company. Typically, your best approach here is to state the benefits without putting anyone else down. Say why you’re better, not why they’re worse. 

Taken in total, these methods of working toward a promotion are very persuasive when implemented. If your company still resists promoting you after a period of time, there may not be advancement opportunities available. With current economic conditions being uncertain, however, it’s better to try where you are first than to get a job somewhere else that may not be any better. 

Not being adequately compensated? Try our salary tool. You can find the expected salary range for the job in different geographic locations, a description of the job, current demand, and some career advancement recommendations. Give it a try!

GDH offers aid to job seekers with a job board and talent network. Contact us to see how we can help you reach your career goals.