4 Ways To Earn A Promotion By Tomorrow
Ok, well, maybe not tomorrow.
Proving your worth and work ethic to a firm can take a bit of time. Whether you’ve been putting in the effort for a while to earn a new title, or you’ve just recently decided to pursue a promotion, the tips and tricks below will help you reach that senior level in no time.
Why are promotions so important? Why are so many professionals chasing one? Because it’s not only a change in job title. It can allow for many positive changes, such as improved social status among peers and colleagues. Especially with the rise in popularity of LinkedIn, being able to make a public post that proves to your friends and family that you are intelligent and talented enough to be promoted is desirable. Also, the inevitable positive feedback you will receive on LinkedIn through likes and comments once you post about the big reward builds self confidence. Self confidence built through your network and by the fact that your company chose you above all others for the new role is an invaluable trait to possess.
A promotion also means a salary bump, and probably an additional bonus. Who wouldn’t want that? Finally, it can also serve as an acknowledgement from the company to the employee that they have been working diligently and deserve to act as a leader for the firm. It serves as a true symbol of appreciation.
Promotions can signal higher social status, boosted self confidence, increased salary, and appreciation of hard work. So let’s talk about how to earn one! The guiding principle for all of the points made below is this:
Make it IMPOSSIBLE for you NOT to be promoted
You need to position yourself so that there is no question that you deserve the role upgrade. Your promotion most likely is not decided by one person or decided by one metric, so it’s important to diversify how you approach your goal. When your managers gather during annual performance reviews, you want it to be obvious that you deserve the level upgrade with such a well rounded and impactful resume.
I’m speaking from experience — before I left my top tier consulting firm to work as a consultant at a tech startup, I was promoted twice within 2.5 years — it was one of the fastest promotion tracks possible at the firm. I employed all of the tips below to ensure that I reached both of those promotions within my desired timeline. Keep in mind that although this list is related to my time spent in consulting, it can be tailored to fit any industry and career level.
1. Go Above And Beyond - Daily Work
This tip may sound like an obvious one, but taking on more responsibilities related to your specific team or role will pay off. This could be as simple as offering to help out with interviewing new candidates for your team, or offering to take responsibilities from your manager’s plate. By vocalizing your desires to help out the team more and successfully completing the work, it will be clear how strong of a teammate and leader you are. You will become a central pillar of trust and strength on the team. Soon enough, as new responsibilities pop up, you will be the team member that your managers think of to tackle the task. Come promotion time, management will remember how you always went the extra mile in your daily duties.
2. Go Above and Beyond - Building the Business
Besides taking on more responsibilities in your daily work, it’s important to have an impact on a more macro level at the company. The colleague that voluntarily contributes to occasional proposal writing or starts a company monthly newsletter will be highly valued. At my own consulting firm, I wrote a monthly newsletter for our entire client account which was emailed to about 500 people. It was one more way that my name and strong work output landed in my manager’s inbox each month!
Additionally, leading networking events or even happy hours will have you remembered as someone engaging and reliable, and the inevitable communication and relationship building with executives as you run the events will help you continue to build a strong reputation.
3. Remember That It’s A Small World
Even before the rise of LinkedIn, the saying that it’s a small world has always held true. It’s critical to maintain healthy relationships with coworkers as they are bound to reappear later in your career — whether it be at a new company or needing to ask an old colleague for a referral. Above all, kindness and a positive attitude go a long way. An upbeat and engaged colleague is one that will be remembered during promotion season and for years to come.
4. Make Goals Clear With Management
You shouldn’t go on this journey alone. Make it clear to your manager today that you intend to work hard to achieve that new title. Prepare goals regarding what you plan to accomplish over the next few months and share them with your manager. Always ask for feedback on the type and scope of the goals.
Then, set up “30/30” meetings on his or her calendar. These are recurring meetings that last 30 minutes and occur every 30 days. This will allow for dedicated time for you to break down your progress over the last month, listen to any feedback they may have, and ensure you and your manager both agree that you are still on the right path. When promotion time rolls around, you will have documented evidence that you are deserving of a new title.
I’d like to leave you with this: there is no reason that you can’t earn a promotion over your colleague. It doesn’t matter if they went to a better school, seems smarter, seems more confident etc, as you are all on the same team now. Reading this blog and taking the initiative to ensure it’s IMPOSSIBLE for you NOT to be promoted is the first step to achieving your goal.
Making conscious efforts to stick out from the crowd and make a strong reputation for yourself is more work than 99% of your colleagues will put in. Most people are happy to show up, put in solid effort, and leave for the day. But not you — you’re going to go above and beyond, foster healthy relationships, and share clear intentions and goals with your boss. Good luck!
