How to get promoted fast at work (in any career)
Wondering how to get promoted fast at work? Getting promoted is a fantastic achievement, but it’s not always an easy feat. Competition is fierce, and most of your colleagues want the promotion too. To earn a promotion, you really need to make yourself stand out. There are several hoops you’ll need to jump through and you need to be prepared to roll your sleeves up and get to work!
9 ways to ensure you get promoted at work
1. Embody company values
For lots of employees, company values can tend to fade into the background. Not many employees can actually say they make a conscious effort to proactively promote company values. If you’re looking to get promoted, you need to show you’re fully committed to the business, and embodying the company values is one powerful way to do that.
Living and breathing the company values sets you up as a company ambassador; someone who proudly represents the company and what it stands for. This is exactly what managers are looking for when they seek to promote.
2. Master your duties
You can’t expect to gain a promotion if you’re not able to master your own area of work, can you? The most basic requirement for a promotion is to demonstrate you’re fully capable of handling your current responsibilities. If managers suspect you’re struggling with your current duties, why would they consider you a strong contender to take on even greater responsibilities?
Once you’ve mastered your own role, you can make a much stronger case for why you’re ready, willing and able to take on a more senior role.
Tend to your own garden first before you look for an upgrade!
3. Support your colleagues
Being a team player is a key component of strong leadership. If you want to set yourself apart from your colleagues, start proactively looking for ways to support your team members instead of doing the bare minimum. Perhaps you can point out an easier way for them to do their work, or maybe you’re able to step in and ease their workload during a busy period. There are countless opportunities for you to help your team throughout the day - just make sure it doesn’t compromise your own workload first!
4. Proactively contribute new ideas
A large part of being a top employee and leader is being able to contribute new and valuable ideas. Many employees will make the mistake of sitting back and detaching themselves from the aims of the business. So to stand out, proactively look for ways to better the business, and contribute these ideas during team meetings or 1:1s. Don’t wait to be asked for your input - if you have an idea, use your initiative to put it forward.
5. Discuss your aspirations with your manager
One of the most important parts of earning a promotion is making your aspirations known to your manager. There’s nothing wrong with discussing your career development. It’s human nature to want to progress. So when you have a 1:1 with your manager, just let them know that although you’re not quite there yet, you’re focused on achieving the next logical step in your career and want their perspective on what milestones need to be hit in order for you to get there.
6. Adopt a positive attitude
Positivity is everything at work. Businesses like to promote people with a ‘can-do’ attitude. No career is perfect, but if you’re going to get that promotion, you need to set aside any little niggles and steer clear of moaning. If you have an issue you’re not happy with, address it constructively by always putting forward a proposed solution.
7. Keep out of office politics
In any work environment (office or otherwise), office politics can usually be found lurking around, looking for its next victim. Whether it’s entertaining idle gossip, or complaining about the seating arrangement, don’t prey victim to office politics. Keep your focus on completing the work at hand and don’t get drawn into small-minded issues. If colleagues try to drag you in, don’t make yourself available for that - remain neutral and disengaged.
8. Make yourself indispensable
A real key factor in gaining a promotion is in becoming irreplaceable. This isn’t just about mastering your area of work, but it’s also about your character, your integrity, and how dependable you are. Trustworthy employees are a real asset. Be the person who will always go above and beyond, and the person who can always be relied on to deliver the goods.
9. Demonstrate leadership
More often than not, leaders are chosen because of the way they’ve demonstrated natural leadership ability before they’ve even been handed the title. It’s okay to take the lead in certain situations and there are plenty of opportunities throughout the week to do just that. Don’t be afraid of organising people, of being the motivator, or of speaking your mind. Don’t wait to be assigned the role of leader. Claim it.
Are you looking to move into a more senior role? We have senior leadership positions across the UK. Send us your CV to get the ball rolling.