You get a job, you put in the hours and show commitment to your role and company and after a certain period of time you get promoted, sound correct? 

“Internal promotion doesn’t just happen to you. There can be an assumption that if you stay somewhere you just get promoted. You still have to work hard and spot opportunities. I’ve put my hand up a lot and two of those times I was looking for a change elsewhere. No one in the business is looking around thinking ‘Who can I throw money at?’. It takes both sides [to progress].” Marketing Week

Sadly, that’s not the way it works in the majority of companies.  Internal promotion doesn’t just happen for you – you have to be on the lookout for opportunities within the business and build your profile up as a great candidate for progression.  

Here are a few ways to show your manager that you are ready for a that promotion:

Own it

Do you wait to be presented tasks and take direction on when and how they will be completed? Taking ownership of your work shows a manager how well you understand your role and your ability in taking on increased responsibility.

No I in Team

Yes office politics and gossip is not the most fun part of working in a company and not something that you will particular want to get involved in but keep a positive attitude. If a system isn’t effective then tell your manager what is wrong but, most importantly, tell them what you can do to fix it. Your job is to make your boss’ life easier and solve problems. It shows you are a team player and valuable asset to the company and you are someone they would be silly to let go. 

Tell them that you want a promotion

This one is vital! Your chances of being promoted are virtually non-existent if your manager doesn’t know it is something you want. Have clear dialogue with your boss about what skills you can develop and what you need to do to get to the next level. Set a clear time frame/parameters and make sure you are hitting every aspect they give you. 

You have done all these things but a promotion still looking unlikely?

Don’t stunt your career growth by staying with a company that doesn’t support your progression. Get out in the job market and take an opportunity with a company that will!