How to Get a Promotion

For many, knowing how to get a promotion at work can be a challenge. What’s needed? How long does it take to get a promotion? It starts with being very good at the job you do now… but not too good! Making yourself indispensable might have the opposite effect.

Getting yourself noticed will really help. Find out who the decision makers are in your organisation and make sure they know who you are. Getting promoted and acknowledged for your hard work could rest in their hands. You can be the most conscientious employee around, but if no one knows you’re interested in progressing, it’s less likely opportunities will come your way.

Make sure your manager is aware that you’re keen to widen your range of responsibilities and contribute to larger assignments. Ask for their advice on how to get promoted and the milestones you need to reach to develop your career further. This will enable them to provide you with the support you need to achieve your goals.

Another great way of getting noticed is volunteering for ad hoc projects above and beyond the scope of your current role. They will give you the opportunity to showcase the other strengths, skills and abilities you have which will aid your chances of getting promoted. Be prepared to take on additional responsibility.

Look out for development opportunities, either formally through training courses and management development programmes and informally, through cross-functional working groups. If there aren’t any, offer to set some up; most organisation benefit from improved cross-functional understanding, and you’ll find out more about your organisation and any new opportunities that arise. Not all opportunities are advertised and knowing how to get promoted means keeping your ears close to the ground and networking.

Lastly, don’t forget the social side of work; organising successful social events can get you noticed. One person we worked with organised the company cricket team – as well as being loads of fun, most of the company’s senior stakeholders played, and they wouldn’t have known who they were but for the cricket! Sadly, the old adage “it’s not what you know but whom you know” can still hold true.

For more promotion advice, get in touch with the experts at Consultive.