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How to secure that promotion!

Written by: Charlotte Rogers
Published on: 13 Jul 2020

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When you’ve been in a job for a while, you might start to think about how you can progress to the next stage in your career. Most of us don’t want to be doing the same job for years with no progression, some of us like to take comfort in knowing that a promotion is coming our way if we work hard enough. However, promotions don’t just get handed to you. You have to put in the work, have clear goals and be able to persuade your employer that you are really up for the next challenge. More often than not, you also have to have an interview as well, nothing is simply handed to you. So, if you feel like you are ready for the next step at work, we have some tips on how to help you push yourself and land that promotion you want!

Are you ready?

Asking for a promotion is similar to asking for a pay rise, you need to know why you deserve this, be able to explain to your employer why you deserve a promotion and be able to back up your claims with well thought through evidence. Have you demonstrated what your employer is looking for, for the role that is vacant? You need to really look back at the time spent in your role and see if you have the skills and the knowledge to take on the new role.

This is where research comes in. You need to know exactly what they are looking for. Ask for the job spec and analyse it like you would if you were applying for a new job somewhere else. You wouldn’t apply for a role you weren’t qualified for, so why expect your employer to give you a job that isn’t right for you yet? Once you have reasoning behind your promotion, you can work towards your goals and get that new job!

What are your goals?

If you think you are ready for the promotion, you need to have goals that are going to help you get there. If you don’t quite demonstrate the skills and qualifications of the next step in your career, then how can you get them? You can start by looking into training that your company might offer, or you can become a member of an engineering body to help you with your CPD and assist you in reaching your goals. There are a lot of options to help you reach your goals, you just need to be willing to put in the work. Taking the time to write down goals and plan the journey to reaching them can help massively.

How proactive are you already?

In order to be considered for a promotion, you need to already be a hard worker. Do you put in the hours at work or are you someone that does the bare minimum and coasts through the days? If you are the latter, don’t worry, work habits can change. Employers want to promote people that can make a difference at their company, they want hard workers and people that get their work done and are interested on taking on more responsibility. I’m not saying you should be spending hours after closing at work but being interested in helping out colleagues when they need it and taking on bigger/more difficult tasks will show that you have determination to learn and become a better employee.  


How is your relationship with others at work?

If you are looking for a promotion, especially for a leadership role, you need to be able to demonstrate good communication and leadership skills when working with your work colleagues. Do you work well with others? Do you go out of your way to talk to new people, maybe even people that aren’t in your initial team? Getting to know the people that you work with and show an interest in your team can really make a difference. It can make you a better individual as well as a colleague. If you are looking for a management role or a role where you would be leading a team, your employer will want someone with the ability to talk to their team and lead them to success. Being able to say that you talk to your peers daily and have effective relationships with your current team, is a big advantage to have.

Do you demonstrate commitment?

You are more likely to be considered for a new role if you are committed to your work and your development as a professional. Have you taken steps in your current job to take opportunities given to you? Have you taken time outside of work to complete qualifications or work on your professional development portfolio? And importantly, have you taken time out of your day to help colleagues with tasks when they needed it?

You should be demonstrating commitment to your job daily and it doesn’t have to be shown in huge, time consuming tasks. Simply taking the time to help someone, agreeing to take part in a new project and even just reading up about your industry. You are putting time in to become a better professional and that is very important when you are looking to progress in a company.

Keep a look out for opportunities

You might feel ready for a promotion, but is there a higher role vacant in your company at this point in time? You can either leave and find something in a different company or stay and keep being the great employee you are. Take every day as a chance to show them what you can do. Then when an opportunity does arise, you are more likely to be considered. Keep an eye out for these opportunities and don’t let them slip through your fingers. If you want to move up in your career, you simply have to work for it.

As well as some of the above, it’s ideal to keep doing the basics as well. Keep turning up to work on time, do your work to your best standard and look the part. These everyday things that you do, won’t go unnoticed. It’s the smaller things that make you recognised as a good employee – and promotion material, so keep doing what you are doing, work hard, establish your goals and a promotion is more likely to come your way. It’s not an easy road to success, but hopefully you will end up feeling fulfilled and happy with your career.