Where to Next? The Fastest Route to Career Advancement

Are you looking to be promoted?

If getting a promotion is important to you, then it is time to sit down and ask yourself what you can be doing to actively advance your career. Here are some suggestions.

Regain Career Momentum

Define what success looks like to you. Once you have established the main target, break it down into smaller achievable steps and goals. Implement a workable system that will increase your technical and emotional skillsets needed to move from one step to the next.

Manage Up

Managing up means that you go above and beyond the tasks outlined in your job description. You continuously go the extra mile. Your job is to make your immediate manager’s life easier. Learning to effectively "manage up" can put you in a great position to align with your immediate supervisor, integrate effectively with the organizational culture, receive great recommendations, and ultimately help you on board effectively.

Help your stakeholders recognize your ability to build and lead a high-performing team that goes above and beyond the call of duty. Leading well on a small scale shows initiative and ability. Report team successes to your direct supervisor, giving credit to both the team and team members. As their leader, their success is your success. Consistent progress in leading a high-performing team will show that you are able to graduate to more responsibility.

Build Your Network

Networking/connecting is essential to your success both while gainfully employed and in transition. Networking with a purpose is a vital component of anybody's career success but is often terribly neglected.

Ask Questions / Survey Your Surroundings

•Have I asked my immediate superior what it takes to get to the next position?

•How has this organization historically handled promotions?

•Do they generally promote from within or seek externally?

•What is the general time-frame for people to get promoted within the organization?

•Is the person you report to going anywhere?

•Does the person you report to have a history of mentoring his/her direct reports?

By defining your goals, developing a strategy, and become intentional about executing your plan, you can increase your chances of advancement immeasurably.

Here's to your success!

Jim

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