Take the initiative to start climbing the corporate staircase.
Promotions are essential to the success of an ambitious professional. Not every professional, however, knows proactively strive for promotion. You can do everything right in the workplace, but if you don't take the initiative to go after a promotion, you could get passed by time and again. Learn what to say to management so that you're first on the list when a promotion opens up.
Instructions
1. Prepare your proposal for logical times to ask for a promotion. Performance reviews are an obvious time for this, but you can also approach a manager when you hear that someone has left or been promoted out of a position above you. A posted promotional opportunity is another valid time to ask, but keep in mind that once the job is posted there will be more competition for the job. Network within your company to find out about a job posting before it is open. You also can find out when a person who has a job you want is getting a promotion or is leaving before that information is announced.
2. Ask face to face, rather than through a formal, written request, unless responding to an internal job posting. Keep it non-forceful by just broaching the topic with your manager when he has time to speak and you're not intruding on his workload. Don't appear as if you're demanding anything.
3. Prepare a list of reasons that merit your promotion. Don't bombard your manager with these out of the blue. However, after you ask for a promotion, ask for a one-on-one meeting to share why you deserve it. If your manager is unwilling to grant you a meeting, prepare a professional and polite letter that hits the points you would have addressed in an interview. Track your strengths, such as sales you've made, clients you've brought to the company or performance benchmarks you've met. If your manager makes it clear he doesn't want to grant an interview or hear about it further, be courteous, thank him for his time and reapply at a later date.
4. Talk openly and honestly when you ask a manager for a promotion. Avoid making over-the-top pleas and don't act desperate, as this is not going to improve your chances. Stick to your strengths and be upfront with the manager. Let him know that your goal is to get promoted eventually. Be clear about your goals and where you see your path in the company headed. Even if you get turned down the first time, you're laying solid groundwork for the future by declaring your ambition. Never make threats when requesting a promotion, such as saying you don't know what your future with the company will hold if you don't get it.
Tags: your manager, after promotion, manager when, your strengths