In a conservative country like ours, asking for a promotion seems to be a no-no. We tend to wait for the opportunity to come. But career growth doesn’t come to the faint-hearted. Be on top of your career by planning your promotion!
JobStreet.com tells you how:
- Ask for additional responsibility
Getting a promotion means you are ready to take on more responsibility, and by asking for additional tasks/projects, you can show you are capable of handling a bigger role. Volunteering to look over your team or be OIC while your boss is away is a perfect example of an additional task. Going the extra mile on reports and projects (like submitting them ahead of schedule) will also be good for you.
- Excel in everything you do
Remember: the average is as close to the bottom as it is to the top. And where would you want to go? To the top, of course! Excellence is something that should come from you. Give great ideas. Execute your projects flawlessly. Come to work on time. Think of things you can do better. Your boss should notice your efforts in no time.
- Evaluate your accomplishments
Once you think the time is right, position yourself for the promotion you know you deserve. Evaluate your accomplishments. Aside from believing that you are ready, you need to be backed up by numbers, such as Key Performance Indicators or KPIs. Your KPIs are a concrete measure of what you’ve done so far for the company, and something you can present to your boss when you lobby your case.
- Find a good time and grab it
There is no right or wrong time to ask for a promotion. There is, however, a good time for it. If your company conducts performance reviews, use that as an opportunity to raise the topic of promotion. Request for a meeting with your manager and make it clear that you want to discuss your performance and the potential of getting promoted. By giving a heads up, your boss will have ample time to review your performance.
- Don’t be shy to emphasize your contributions
You have to prove that you are capable of stepping up. During your meeting, emphasize your contributions and milestones. Present your performance reviews in the last year or so, especially if they are stellar. Know the job description you are aspiring for and give concrete examples to prove that you are the best person for the job.
Don’t be disheartened if you don’t get promoted now. Your manager might offer instead to give you more responsibilities, as promotions can take time. Your boss might need to adjust the team structure to make way for your bigger role, for one. Discuss the timeline – 3 months? 6 months? – and agree on it. Prove yourself worthy of that promotion. At the very least, be assured that your manager has a career development plan for you.
Remember: as long as you do your job well and you continue to grow and learn new skills, a promotion shouldn’t be far from reach.
###
About JobStreet.com
JobStreet.com is a leading online job site presently covering the employment markets in Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, and Vietnam. The Group currently services over 230,000 corporate customers and over 13 million job seekers in its database.