You have been in your company for years and now you think you are ready for a promotion.
A promotion does not just mean you get a better job title and higher pay. You also will be given more responsibilities. That is why you have to prove to your bosses and management that you are capable of handling more tasks.
Take Charge
Your boss would not know what you are capable of if you keep waiting for tasks to be assigned to you. When an opportunity opens up, volunteer your time and effort. Whether your boss is looking for someone to lead a team for a project or head the event management group, raising your hand up and becoming involved will show your passion and trustworthiness. You can also use it as an opportunity to show off your leadership skills competitiveness — two skills that you need if you want an executive role within your company.
Always be the first to volunteer. Your boss will eventually see you as a capable employee who can do more than what they ask of you. However, do not say yes to all requests. Volunteering to do a task when you do not have any free time will leave a bad impression.
Play Nicely with the Team
An employee who is a team player is valuable to any company. Even after you have your own office, you would not have a choice but to collaborate with your colleagues.
Be someone who everyone wants to work with and you will get your much-deserved promotion. You can do that by helping out other people complete their tasks if they are pressed for time or their workload is overwhelming. Most importantly, stay away from office gossip. Although fun, it might create enemies. Besides, office gossip takes away the necessary time you could be using to do more important tasks that will lead to a promotion.
Keep Improving Your Skills
Learning does not end when you leave school. As an adult, you need to continue studying and gaining experiences to climb the corporate ladder and reach whatever goal you have set for yourself.
You need to have better qualities than are required for your current position. No, you do not have to get an MBA to be promoted, but you should strive to learn something new regularly. You can attend seminars hosted by industry leaders, enroll in online classes, learn a new language so you can converse with international clients, etc. This shows that you are serious about your career.
Attend Company Events
Company events create opportunities to interact and get to know their colleagues outside of the work setting. That includes your bosses and upper management people.
Every time there is a team dinner or a corporate party, take advantage of it. Introduce yourself to everyone and have a conversation with them. Do not discriminate. Be friendly to everyone. Who knows? One of them may be able to help you get promoted.
Know Your Worth
When you know you have worked harder than anyone in the office and you have shown that you are a competitive employee who adds value to the company, talk to your boss about career advancement. Be prepared by outlining your successes over the past couple of years and what you can do if you ever get promoted.
If your boss thinks you are ready, you will be promoted. If not, accept the decision gracefully. This is not the end of the line. You can still improve your skills and prove to them that you deserve a promotion.
