Maybe you’ve found your ideal career, are employed at great company you enjoy working for that also aligns with your personal values. Congratulations! Many people do not attain this kind of satisfaction in their working lives. Getting to this point is something I discuss with many of my clients, and once you achieve this it is amazing! But another more common scenario is, that you’ve found what I call a solid “stepping stone job.” This is a position with a company that has potential for you to advance professionally, which you can use as a “stepping stone” to get to your ideal career, position, or company. In both of these situations, many people ask me, “How do I get a promotion?”
Career coaching is effective because you can work with someone else on a goal like, getting a promotion. You create a sacred space with a coach where you co-create a plan and put it into action. Career coaching provides support, accountability, and usually shortens your learning curve. All of this is important because it helps you get where you want to be a lot faster than going it alone. It’s imperative to note that the goal of getting a promotion is a project that can take some time. It’s not realistic to think that you can do one simple task and get promoted. This is not for the faint of heart or those who can’t stick with a long-term plan.
Having a positive mindset is important and you must be confident in yourself, even if no one else is. I’m going to share 3 secret strategies that I’ve personally used to get promoted many times. I’ve also seen others use these same strategies to get countless promotions.
Master a skill
Observe the happenings in your department and through out your office. What seems like a challenge? What do a lot of people shy away from doing? Once you’ve figured out what skill would be an asset to your team or to the office, find out everything you can about it. Do some research online and ask people who don’t work at your company how that skill might be helpful. If you see the skill is necessary, put aside time to learn it. Keep your eyes out for projects in your department where you can utilize this skill. Once you find a project, lead it or become involved. Take your time to really excel here. From this experience, you will become a valuable resource.
Become an expert
There are a few ways you can do this. The easiest is simply to consider what you already know and are good at. What can you talk about for hours and not get bored? What expertise do you have that can be useful to your department? When the natural situations arise at work, take a moment to speak about your expertise in a way that is helpful to your team. It’s important that you don’t dominate conversation or go on and on when no one is interested. You simply look for opportunities to add what you know in a beneficial manner. Eventually, your expertise will become very apparent.
Collaborate
This is perhaps the fastest way for you to gain visibility and get promoted. Being connected with others helps to create a positive working environment and leaves a good impression about you. Where can you collaborate with others in your department that would enhance what you already do? Maybe you have an idea for a process that could help things be faster or more clear than the current way of doing things. Share it with your colleagues or manager. Depending on your position and your company, there might be ways you can think of to collaborate with other departments, which can have a larger impact.
Where could you implement these strategies in your current position? How could you create a solid plan? Career coaching can help take the large goal of getting a promotion, make it easier to attain and in a shorter period of time. If you would like support around this, contact us for a Vision of Success Session.
Porschia Parker-Griffin
Latest posts by Porschia Parker-Griffin (see all)
- 3 Reasons Why Employee Engagement is Vital for Companies - November 29, 2022
- Top Tips: How to Deal with a Know-It-All in the Workplace - November 18, 2022
- Workplace Flexibility: What does it mean to your employees? - November 12, 2022
