How to Create Opportunities for Your Own Promotion
by Allyson Basso
Do you ever feel like a robot at work? Completing the same tasks over and over again without being challenged and feeling like you are growing your skills. We all hit that point in our career where we’re ready for the next step and need to formulate a plan to ask for a promotion. I reached it three years into my entry-level job and needed a change. I felt burned out from not being challenged in ways that would help me grow. I’d always been praised for being hardworking, organized, timely. I constantly asked what goals I needed to hit to move to the next level and never got a straight answer—just, “keep doing what you’re doing.”
When my new director was promoted into his role, he finally shared the insight I’d been looking for to set the proper goals and formulate a plan to discuss a promotion: To get a promotion, you can’t continue what you’re currently doing; you need to take on more responsibility within the company. Sometimes promotions are presented as a position opens up, but there are times we need to present the idea to our supervisor that we’re ready for more responsibility and in turn more money.
Don’t ask a question, provide a solution
“Never bring me a problem. I want a solution.'' After I received my first promotion, my new supervisor told me this on day one. He then went on to explain that he trusted my judgement and wanted to hear my opinion on how I preferred to handle issues. From there, we were able to discuss my solution and if it would be the best fit for the problem and align with how the company does business. The problem-solving helped me grow my skills to think of all aspects of the business, but also helped my supervisor because all the work was not put back on him; it was a team effort.
This is the best advice I’ve been given in my career. Being able to show your supervisor you put some thought behind reviewing a situation and handling a problem takes your skill set to the next level. Not only are you handling your daily responsibilities but you’re forward thinking about the big picture. Presenting yourself as a solution can help to open up a conversation about a promotion in an approachable way.
Don’t walk in to ask for a title and money
Simply asking for a title and money comes across as selfish, and if you’re a young professional, can feed into the millennial stereotype of entitlement. Don’t expect a title change with no change to your responsibilities. It’s important to prove why you deserve a promotion and should take on more responsibility. Anything in life worth getting should be earned.
Brag a little
Highlight your strengths and accomplishments. These can be during your time at your current workplace but can also be previous experiences if it helps to build your case. It’s important to remember that your supervisor doesn’t keep all of your accomplishments top-of-mind. Refresh their memory on the great work you’ve completed. Remind your boss that you were in the top three in sales last year and your client retention numbers are above the goal set for you.
Bring a solution
When you’re asking for a promotion, provide a solution to a problem or gap you’re seeing in the workplace and link how your strengths can help. Creating a reason for a promotion is a great tactic if your company doesn’t have a set standard of being promoted or set responsibilities. Point out to your boss that with your great sales and retention, you can use your insight to help develop sales initiatives for your department. Help your teammates with trainings to share what skills have made you successful.
The bigger picture
Think about how your solution helps not only you grow in your career, but will help your manager as well. Connect how the promotion may help your direct manager by delegating work to you, or show the executive team that the goals of your new responsibilities can help the overall business. For example, by helping to develop sales initiatives and trainings for the team, you’re able to take this burden from your supervisor. The sales initiatives can be an effort you work on together and will help you grow by becoming more business-minded. The executive team will see your commitment to helping not only grow your career and team, but also the overall company by increasing revenue.
Providing your skills as a solution should help to get a productive conversation started with your supervisor. The solution you proposed may not be your exact promotion, but it gets leadership thinking of another area they may need help with where your skills can be utilized. If your supervisor tells you the timing isn’t right or you aren’t ready, press them on what skills or goals you should be working toward. Ask for your supervisor and human resource manager to put together a plan and timeline that can help to outline the goals they want you to meet before taking a next step, and set a check-in date to meet and discuss if you’re hitting the marks.
Continue these conversations and also be open-minded that if your current company isn’t willing to continue your growth in some way, it might be time to make a bigger change.
Allyson is a Florida native living in Jacksonville. After graduating from the University of North Florida with a degree in Advertising, she now works for an agency as an account executive managing a major account and a team of 10+ employees. In her free time you can find her cheering on the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, channeling her creativity with art, or curled up with a book and her adorable pup, who thinks he’s a 60lb lap dog.
