Elevate Your Career – How to Set Yourself Up for Promotion

It has become the norm: after finishing high school, we get ourselves out of our small towns and into the city, or even into an entirely different state. Careers are sometimes difficult to establish, but hard work and patience both go a long way.

Fresno is just one of eight cities in California that belong to the country’s largest 50 cities. What does this mean for its employees? There will be some who will choose to move to a different city or state, but there will be others who will stick it out and see where it takes their career.

While there’s no formulaic solution or checklist in elevating your career, you can bet there are ways to set yourself up for promotion. Regardless what industry or company you belong to, you can always prepare yourself and set yourself up for success! Here are a few tips.

Seek and Use Feedback

It may seem like a bold move, but it pays to seek feedback from the people who actually have the power to get you promoted. There’s nothing wrong with asking your boss for feedback, both the positive traits you have and what you need to improve.

You can be specific and ask what you need to show in order to get that promotion. Ask him or her advice how you can get there, then of course do those things and check in with them after a while. Just make sure you do it with taste – nobody wants someone bugging them 24/7.

Instead, strive it to be a natural part of your work dynamic, asking for feedback even during regular interactions. For instance, you can ask them how you did during a meeting, or you can ask them every few months or so what new skills you should develop.

You can even ask people from your team. Your coworkers are around you for most of your work day and probably could weigh in a few thoughts on what works well for you and what needs improvement.

Think Ahead

You know how in chess, you’re supposed to think three moves ahead? That’s how you should be at work too. There’s no assurance what jobs we all have in 5, 10, or even 20 years. As such, build skills that will make you an attractive candidate, not just for a promotion at your current job but also for the next jobs after.

In other words, use each day to create more opportunities for yourself. On average, people work for around 40 years, so take the time to invest in yourself and your skills. It’s fine to take a different path from what is “normal” or conventional – it could even make you stand out more!

Be Honest and Ask for the Promotion

Some companies make promotion decisions on predictable schedules, while others do it on an as-needed basis. Some companies even let their employees nominate themselves! Find out how your organization handles these and act accordingly.

Once these decisions are made by your boss or whoever else are assigned to do so, make sure you raise your hand and express your interest. This is especially true for women – we learned that on average, women wait longer than men do when it comes to raising their hands for a promotion they’ve been eyeing. In a 50-50 population (California has a pretty equal split of males and females based on the 2008 US Census Bureau), all is fair in the game of promotion.

Keep Your Feet on the Ground but Reach for the Skies

It’s important to have a firm grasp on reality, no matter how high a cloud you’ve been aiming for. Truth be told, there will be some jobs where the only way to get promoted is to be the one who will succeed your current boss’s job. If he or she isn’t going anywhere, maybe it’s time to face reality and move on to a different job or company.

They say part of success is knowing which games to play. Once you start realizing there are no more proper methods to your maximizing your career, or you feel you’re constantly being sabotaged, or you have been told no a few times, maybe it’s time to let go and move on.

If you do decide it’s time to move on to a different job in the Fresno area, we can help you! Contact us and we’ll help you find suitable jobs that are fulfilling and will help you succeed in whatever field you are in.

Sources:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-surefire-tips-get-promotion-laszlo-bock

http://www.careers.org/usa/state/california

http://www.careers.org/usa/city/9/fresno