Job Seeker Blog - Spark Hire

How to Get the Promotion You Want

Isn’t it great when someone gives you something you wanted and you didn’t even have to ask for it? Whether it’s in the form of a gift, favor or gesture of kindness, when you receive something without putting much effort into attaining it, it feels great. If you’re waiting for your boss to give you that promotion without doing much work, just waiting for your years at work to pay off, then it’s time to take some extra measures to make sure you get a promotion. A promotion needs to be worked hard at receiving and yes, you need to ask for it. If there’s a certain position in your work that you feel that you’re ready to take on, then it’s time to take some steps to get there. To get a promotion in the workplace you need to work hard to step on the employment ladder. Here are some tips to help you get the promotion you want.

Excel at Your Current Position
Take on more responsibility by asking your boss for more projects to take on. Meet deadlines early, come into work early and leave late. Do your best to receive good performance reviews. All this positive productivity will help you get a promotion. You can try to document the financial impact your actions have had on the company and show that to your boss too. Build a strong case with evidence to support your claim for a promotion and it’ll be hard for your boss to deny you one.

Learn New Skills
Doing some studying outside of work to acquire new skills that go beyond what your current position asks for will prepare you for your promotion and show how eager and ready you are to take on a higher level job.

Become the MVP
Become the best team player and showcase your leadership skills. Don’t take full reign of the team or else your boss will see that you’re too vital to the department to move on and get promoted. Showcasing your leadership skills will show that you have the skills to take on new tasks and can lead people properly.

Get a Mentor in the Job You Want
Make friends with the person that’s in the position you’re looking to get promoted to. Having him or her as your mentor will show the initiative you took to get a head start. This will also offer the opportunity to check out the ins and outs of the job and see if it truly is the job you’re looking for. This person may also have an influence on whether you get a promotion or not. Having a mentor will also be a great source of advice for when the going gets tough on the job. If it’s difficult for you to find a mentor, brush up on Spark News’ tips on how to find one.

Set Up a Formal Meeting
Now that you’ve taken all the steps to making yourself an employee superstar, it’s time to take that final step into getting the promotion you want. If you haven’t casually brought up the topic of getting promoted to your boss, it’s time to set up a meeting with them to discuss the topic further. Meetings like this can be nerve wrecking, but if you stay confident in your abilities and avoid being demanding, you can walk away with a successful discussion to get promoted. At this meeting, point out the accomplishments you’ve made. It’s OK to brag, but don’t go overboard with it. Concentrate on your positives and demonstrate how your abilities and new acquired skills make you suitable for the promotion.

You can get that promotion you want. All the hard work and long hours will pay off, so it’s important to stay positive and work towards your goal and not give up. When you feel you’re ready, then talk to your boss and be proud of your accomplishments. No one just receives a promotion. People work and demand for it verbally and through actions.

Did you recently get promoted? What did you do to get there and how long did it take? I’d love to hear your stories and opinions, so tell me about it in the comments.

SOURCE: TechRepublic
IMAGE: Courtesy of Useful Journals

Hanna Guerrero

Hannah is an intern writer here at Spark Hire. She is from the northern suburbs in Chicago and is currently studying journalism at DePaul University. She has always had a passion for writing which is why Journalism has proven to be the perfect career for her. She has written for the DePaulia Online on various topics such as fashion, music, movies and television. She loves living in Chicago because it offers exciting events to write stories on. In her free time she enjoys going to music concerts, watching movies with friends, cooking vegetarian food and walking her adorable Cocker Spaniel Coco.

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