Job Articles - Proven Ways to Make Yourself Promotable

By Joe Hodowanes
Career Strategy Advisor
J.M. Wanes & Associates

Promotions are a delicate subject; just about everyone wants one, but no one wants to appear so bold as to actually ask for one. The tricky part is not only determining what your boss considers promotable behavior and adjusting your allocation of effort accordingly; you also have to make sure your boss notices your efforts.

Following are eight sure fire ways to ensure that your efforts get noticed:

Figure out what your employer wants without actually asking him/her. After observing two or three people advance at your company, write a list of factors that seem to affect promotions where you work. Does your boss:

Base promotions solely on performance?
Look for creativity over detail orientation?
Select people with whom they feel particularly comfortable - the ones who hang out with them?

Answer these questions; then work on developing the appropriate skills or behaviors.

Let your boss know you have more to offer. A golden opportunity to do this is during your performance review, although there is no reason to delay this conversation for such a formal occasion. Ask what you can do to make yourself more valuable to the company. I suggest saying something like this:

I love my job and what I am doing. I think this company is going places and I want to go with it. What can I do to make myself more valuable to the company?

Another piece of advice: Never, I repeat, never say, "I want a promotion."

Instead, ask how you could "make a larger contribution" to your organization. A phrase like that can potentially give your boss the impression that you take a personal interest in your work and in the company - a very promotable characteristic. At the same time, you will plant an unspoken thought in your boss's mind that you can't fulfill your desire to do more for the company unless you are elevated to a position from which more can be accomplished.

Keep precise records of your accomplishments. A catalog of accomplishments speaks more eloquently in your own behalf than you ever could. If you can quantify your performance - particularly how it impacts the bottom line - little more needs to be said.

It's hard for a boss to dispute your worth when you can show hard data, such as saving the company $100,000 over the last year through a project you proposed. The odds are that your boss is too busy to keep careful track of such things. Most supervisors seem to remember the bad performances, not the good ones. Unfortunately, managers tend to look for mistakes because they do not want them repeated. In an effort to overcome this managerial tendency, give your boss a list of your accomplishments a few days before your next performance review.

Show some initiative by making constructive suggestions or developing new ideas. There is always the danger that if you simply concentrate on doing your specified duties well, management will never see any reason to take you away from a position for which you have an obvious aptitude. What you want to do is show your boss that while you can easily handle your current duties, they do not even begin to tap the depths of your potential.

One way to accomplish this is by making suggestions and developing new project ideas. Being proactive sends a subliminal message to your boss that you not only want a promotion, but that you obviously deserve one (depending on the merit of your ideas, of course).

Volunteer. This is another way of showing initiative. But you have got to look for the opportunities. Say it is after quitting time on a Friday night. You and your boss are still working. Stop by his office and say, "I see you are working late. Is there anything I can help you with?" Your boss will appreciate the fact that you are concerned about him and not yourself. Fostering good chemistry with your boss boosts your chances of being promoted.
Ask to further your training. Tell your boss you would like to take a computer course at a local college, for example. Explain how it will help you help the company. Sign up for any in-house seminars that might be appropriate to your career goals. Once again, you are sending an unspoken message to your boss that you are motivated to move up the corporate ladder.
Gain more visibility. Compete for professional awards sponsored by your industry or trade group. Get published or be interviewed by the press. If you have strong skills and opinions about what you do, write articles for trade or popular magazines. Additionally, make yourself available to the local press, radio and television as a resource in your area of expertise.

I highly recommend becoming involved in civic and philanthropic activities supported by those at the top of your organization. In addition to the generous devotion of time, it is a way of forging business relationships.

Be well positioned for promotions. Take careful note of others' career paths. For instance, advancement is generally greatest in heavy industries for those with experience in plant management. In consumer goods companies, marketing, advertising and sales people are most likely to reach the higher rungs. A company will occasionally promote from a different department, but it is not likely. For advice on how to best position yourself, find a well positioned mentor, preferably one who is a couple levels above you.

Remember: If you do not toot your own horn, you are limiting your promotability.

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Revised: 2008-05-29T01:30:57-0700