Everyone is working towards the same goal: to be as successful as possible. Often times, this requires working your way up the corporate ladder. And since everyone is working towards being as successful as possible, there’s going to be a little bit of competition. If you’re hoping to get a big promotion and to beat out the rest of the competition, you’re going to have to put in a little more work than just your best.
Here, I’ll discuss a few ways in how to properly promote yourself and your work in the hopes of landing a promotion.
Promote Your Own Work
This should seem like an easy thing, but it comes up many, many times during employee discussions. There are those who believe that showing how much better they are than another employee going up for the same position will land them the job. Constructive criticism for coworkers during a scenario like this is great, but telling your boss you deserve something over another employee will get you nowhere quickly. Always have grace when speaking about others’ work, and stick to promoting the work that you’ve done instead.
Ask For It
You don’t have to wait until a position is open to ask if it needs filled. This is an area where, according to Monster.com, women struggle and men succeed. Want a promotion? Just ask! The worst that anyone can ever say is no in a situation such as that. But be weary: you should have full documentation and examples of your work that showcase the reasons behind your ask. Prepare as much as possible so that at the end of the meeting, all your boss really has to do is say yes. If they have to think about it, don’t be shy about reminding them about your inquiry. Of course, you don’t want to be too aggressive, but being unafraid and having confidence in yourself will go a long way towards putting those promotion plans into motion.
Create A Community
Even if you’re the smartest person in the company, and everyone else agrees with that statement, if you tend to stay inside your office and eat lunches alone, no one is going to remember anything other than that. Your brains alone are not going to land you a promotion. Being a little more social and offering to help different departments around the office will get more people talking about how helpful and smart that you are. The more you are in people’s minds, the more likely you are to be thought of when your company is looking for tomorrow’s leaders.
For more tips, visit my blog on my site TalyRussell.com. I’m always adding new content and sharing helpful advice. Ever tried any of the techniques above? Let me know by leaving me a comment or sharing this piece!