Job promotion

How to Ask for a Raise with Confidence – 4 Tips to Increase Your Chances

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This is a guest post by Charlie Fletcher with edits by Lei Han

A couple years ago, I knew I needed to ask for a raise. Like many of my millennial peers, I had enough to get by, but I couldn’t do much more beyond that. Having enough down payment to buy a house, maintaining regular car payments, affording the right ring and ceremony to tie the knot with my significant other — these hallmarks of the American dream were just out of reach. My paycheck was just too low to achieve any of these.  ...  read more

Great Way to Start 2018 – Summary of Insider Tips for Every Career Situation

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stack the deck

Whatever your career situation is today, I can help you “Stack the deck” in your favor.  Job search and work are never fair.   It will favor those who know how to play the game.  I am here to help you with insider tips on how to play the game to your advantage in any career situation.  If you are in any of the four situations below, I can point you to the insider tips I have gathered in the last 20 years, so you can work smart, get what you want in your career, and live more. ...  read more

How to Get a Promotion – Top 5 Questions Answered

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how to get a promotion

Even since I launched the first group coaching call on Insider Tips to Getting Promoted, I am pleased to received many great questions by email related to how to get a promotion at work.   Here are the top 5 most common questions and my perspective.  Overall, you will see a theme.  Besides being a good at your job, you need to have great soft skills such as managing upwards, leadership skills, skills to deal with office politics etc… in order to increase your chances for promotion.

Question 1: What is more important to get promoted (being a pro in your role or office politics)?”

You need both because promotion decisions are based on the perception of your work instead of the reality.  If you are just a pro in your role but you don’t self-promote, you may easily lose the chance for promotion to someone who is pretty good but also took the time to proactively build his or her work brand with their boss and other senior folks.

While I say both, I don’t mean you need to be perfect.  Remember the 80/20 rule.   Spend enough time to be above average at your role as well as demonstrate key skills needed at the next level.  Then use the rest of the time to build relationships with your manager and other who may influence your promotion decision.

Question 2: I am at a place in my working life where I am ready to move onto the big open stage of visibility. How do I become more vocal, more visible?

I am so glad you asked this question.  Being vocal and visible are keys to getting promoted.   The working world is not fair.  You can’t just hide in a corner and hope someone will realize what a rock star you are, no matter how hard and long you work.   You may think the results you achieve for your company will speak for themselves.  They won’t.  It doesn’t work that way as it puts all the work on your manager to realize all this about you.   You have to be proactive in being vocal and visible and consciously build your work brand with key people at your company.  Here are 3 tips

  • Speak up in meetings – show your expertise and help others.  This means share your perspective.  Be helpful and be there to propose solutions to unsolved issues facing the company or your team.  If you are not sure how to start, here is a detailed guide on how to speak up in meeetings
  • Proactively reach out to offer help – it is important to go beyond your job description if you want to get promoted.  To be visible, you have to pay attention to what others are trying to accomplish in the company and devise ways you may be able to help. You can start with sharing information you have that can help them or offer to volunteer your time to help a senior person with a side project.
  • Set up one-on-one “meet and greets”  –  Being vocal or visible doesn’t always have to be in a group setting.  Look at your role and figure out what key people you should build relationships with and then be proactive to schedule one-on-one meetings to get started.  It immediately shows that you are resourceful and have leadership potential

Questions 3: What if I am an introvert and don’t like the lime light?  How do I get a promotion?

You have to decide what is more important for you – getting promoted or staying out of the lime light.   As you move up in the career world, you are by default more and more in the lime light.   The leadership team will only feel comfortable promoting you if you are already demonstrating leadership skills at your level.   That requires you to step out of the shadows.

I also want to dispel a myth.   Being an introvert is not the same as someone who avoids the spotlight.  I am an introvert.  That only means I need to re-charge my energy in a quiet space.  Many introverts are great leaders, like Abraham Lincoln or Warren Buffet.   If you want to be promoted, it means you welcome the opportunity to be in the spotlight.

Question 4 – How to approach a discussion about Promotion? Do I need to ask my Managers that I am seeking the Promotion?”

Yes, you absolutely need to ask and you should do it about a year in advance.    Most companies only make promotion decisions once a year.  It’s important that you discuss your career path to promotion a year in advance.    This way you can find out

  1. If your manager also thinks you may be ready in one year for promotion
  2. What key skills you should demonstrate in order to be on track for promotion.

Early alignment with your manager will only help you.  With that said, discussing promotion with your manager is an art rather than a science.  It is important to be clear on your intent but not be demanding or overbearing.  The goal for promotion should be about your aspiration to grow with the company and less about your agenda for status or pay.   You should avoid being overly direct.  You can simply ask for advice about your career path to get a better sense of where he or she think you may be ready for promotion and go from there.

Question 5 – How do you change / alter your bosses perception once they have ‘labeled’ you?

Wow, what a great and a real life question.  There are two reasons your boss may have labeled you

Reason 1: You made a pretty serious mistake at work and now your boss is concerned about your skill set (e.g. being detailed oriented)

Reason 2: Your boss is quick to judge based on his or her background and insecurities.  You are unfortunately labeled unfairly already

If it’s reason 1, I would say, you have control to change your boss’ perception.  Everyone make mistakes.  You need to be proactive in working on that skill set and more importantly show your boss how you are improving.  This signals that you took it seriously and are willing to do everything needed to make this weakness a strength.

If it’s reason 2, it time to change jobs.  You cannot change your boss or his or her unfair bias.   Speaking up about it to your boss or HR will just make it worse for you.  If your boss has “labeled” you, it just mean he will never be able to see how awesome you are and can become.   Don’t work for such mediocre bosses!  Look for another job.   It may take some work, but you will be happier in the long run.

Summary

It’s important to find out early at each company on how to get a promotion.  Don’t just read this, ask senior folks in your company for advice.  They will know many more insider tips that can help you succeed.    Be proactive, speak up, and show people why they should promote you.  When you make it that easy, you will tip the chances of promotion in your favor.    Best wishes to your success

Your comments:  Do you have other questions about how to get a promotion?   Add your comment below and I would be happy to address.

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Soft Skills – How to Succeed Like an Executive ...  read more

Insider Tips to Getting Promoted – Group Coaching Call

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Group-Coaching-Call

We had an amazing first Group Coaching Call this past Tuesday.  The topic was Insider Tips to Getting Promoted.   I prepared the following materials and had a very interactive discussion with everyone for an hour.

  • 3 Most Common Mistakes people make that jeopardizes their promotion – based on an article I drafted but haven’t published yet.  This also included practical tips on what you can do to avoid them.
  • 3 Must Dos to increase your chance for promotion – based on the article How to Get Promoted – 6 Tips

    •  ...  read more

    How to Break into a Managerial Role – Part 2

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    Previously, we discussed the first part of this real life situation that Jessica is experiencing.  Today, we will finish this topic on how to break into a managerial role with a follow up discussion I had with Jessica a few weeks later.  Here is her follow up email updating me on her situation and some new challenges she is facing.

    ————————–

    Dear Lei,

    I’ve talked to my boss and the outcome is not as promising as I had expected. Although I had the impression that he ranked me very high in my managerial potential, he actually did not have any clear plans of making me a manager. Per him, he cannot make me a manager simply because it is my aspiration, “there has to be a business need”.

    However, per his vision, I’ve been put in more of a chief of staff, special project based role, rather than being in charge of a certain line of business. I am afraid that such a position does not offer great growth potential.  Needless to say, the meeting was a discouragement. At the end, we agreed to have a similar meeting every 3 months.

    Today, he has announced the org change in a staff meeting. He made exactly the same moves that he communicated to me about one month ago in private. I could sense that he was very careful in wording my role, and tried to make it sound important. My feeling, nevertheless, was one of humiliation.

    I have to say that my trust in him is shaken, and I am not sure if he truly appreciates my contribution as much as he claims. The path he laid out in front of me is not very motivating.  I’d like to consider a career change, but would like to wait until the bonus time next year to see if anything positive develops.

    I’d very much welcome an opportunity to speak to you directly… My burning question is:  How do I make a breakthrough into a managerial role with a diverse background, in or outside my current team?

    The longer version of this question is: I’ve been through a lot of different roles in this industry. This recent experience made me suspect that the depth of my knowledge in any particular area may not be enough to bring me to a managerial level. Please advise me on what I should do, and what I need to focus on to methodically achieve this goal.

    Many thanks,

    Jessica
    ————————————-
    Based on this email above and a resume Jessica sent me, we had a 20-min phone discussion about her question.  I hope it can also help you if you find yourself in a similar situation.  Listen to our discussion below:

    Best wishes to your career success!

    Your comments: Is it helpful to listen to this podcast? Add your comments and questions below and let’s have a discussion.

    Like this post? Help me out by sharing it on Linkedin, Email, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc.

    I am always in your corner.

    – Lei

    How to Break into a Managerial Role – Part 1

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    team manager

    How to get into a team management role is a great question to ask as you advance in your career.  If you have been a stellar individual contributor, the next stage of your career advancement is most likely the management of others.

    While this is the natural next step, it is not always obvious how you can become a team manager. Sometimes you’ll be promoted, but other times you’ll have to change jobs to break into a managerial role.

    In this article, I want to share a real life exchange with a member who is facing issues getting into a formal managerial role.  I hope this example and my advice can also be applicable to those of you who may be in similar situations.
    Note: the name of the reader has been changed, and the company name has been made generic to keep it anonymous.

    ———————————————–
    Hi Lei,
    I’ve been enjoying your newsletters and have found them insightful. I am a VP at Company X, and have recently had a career development conversation with my boss. He provided me with overwhelmingly positive feedback, but he passed me over when he planned to hire two new analysts and made two of his current direct reporters into managers. The reason given was he didn’t think my role needed more support, given the division of responsibilities on his team. I was at a complete loss when I learned about the plan from him.

    When I expressed my disappointment and asked to be put in a managerial role in the near future, he duly noted it and promised me that I would be a manager on his team. Now I am working hard to prove myself worthy of this future opportunity. Did I do something wrong that merited being passed up for this opportunity? Would you offer me some advice?

    Many thanks

    Jessica
    ———————————————————-
    Jessica,

    Thanks for reaching out.  Glad to hear my newsletters have been helpful.  I am sorry to hear that you were passed up for promotion, even though you received very positive feedback.  I think it may be hard for you to figure out what happened, as your boss already gave you a generic answer — “he didn’t think your role needs more support, given the division of responsibilities in his team.”

    What I recommend you do next is focus on asking him what skills and qualities he is looking for in a potential manager.  It does not sound like from your email that you know that already.  I know you are working hard to prove yourself, but I am not sure you know what your boss is looking for you to prove to earn that promotion. It’s important for you to get specifics if you want to progress.

    I would schedule a career discussion meeting with him for 30 min, and just positioning it as getting some advice from him.  Ask him…

  • Given his experience here, where does he think your career at this company can go in the next 5 years?
  • Given that you would like to manage people, what specific aspects do you need in order to get there?
  • What specifics is he looking for from you in order to earn that next promotion?  What results or skills do you need to show him?
  • Roughly, when does he think you can be ready for promotion?  Six months, a year?  And why does he think so?

    •  ...  read more

    My First Job – 5 Tips to Excel and Get Promoted

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    first job

    It’s your very first full-time job out of school, how do you excel is an important question to ask.  Unlike school, where excelling means getting a good grade or GPA, in a job, excelling means building a good work reputation, learning new skills, and getting promoted quickly.  

    When it comes to climbing the career ladder, everyone has to start somewhere.  The top of the ladder might look very far away but remember, your present position is just the first step on your way to better things.   Here are 5 tips on how to excel on your first job.  

    1.  Do The Best Job You Can

    The first step to building a good work reputation and increasing your chances of promotion is to make sure you excel at your current job. Pay attention to the little details. Arrive early, stay late, and don’t be tempted to surf the internet during office hours. Make sure that you look presentable at all times. That might sound like a trivial detail but being well-groomed and keeping a tidy desk gives the impression that you are organised and take pride in your work.

    When it comes to your duties, perform them to the very best of your abilities and put all your energy into each task. Make sure you meet your deadlines and be polite and respectful at all times. Don’t refuse a task, even if it means staying later than you want to. Think of the bigger picture – paying your dues is important in any new job but especially your very first job.   You can learn a lot by being humble, flexible, and eager to help.  It will be well worth it once you get that promotion!

    2. Communicate

    If there’s anything you’re not sure about, don’t be afraid to ask. Asking questions shows that you care about the job you’re doing and want to do it well. It will also help you to build a relationship with your superiors, which is important if you want them to notice your work. You should also aim to cultivate good working relationships with your peers. Doing this proves that you’re capable of working with other people – an essential quality if you want to achieve promotion.

    3. Use your Initiative

    Asking questions is great, but as you grow into your position, try to show your superiors that you can also stand on your own two feet. For example, if there’s a specific task that’s always performed on a certain day, don’t wait to be prompted by your boss. Just do it! If you have any ideas, don’t be afraid to voice them. Even if they don’t come to anything, they will prove to your superiors that you’re capable of thinking for yourself. Using your initiative is all about demonstrating that your confidence and skills are growing, and that you’re ready to take the next step.

    4. Take on More Responsibility

    Rather than asking directly for a promotion, ask for more responsibility.   As you get more comfortable performing your assigned work, it’s important to look for opportunities to do more than your job.  This shows that you care about what you can do for your company, and not just what your company can do for you. You will impress your boss far more by taking this approach. You’ll have to be prepared to work harder and longer hours without any extra pay to start with but if you do a good job, the rewards won’t be far behind.

    5. Learn New Skills

    Sometimes, companies offer their employees the chance to study for additional qualifications in their spare time. If you want to excel and advance, you should definitely take up such an opportunity, or even look for a relevant course on your own initiative. When it comes to promotion, your superiors will look favourably on those who demonstrate a willingness to improve their skills.

    Those are our top five tips for excelling at your first job and achieving promotion quickly. I hope you found them useful, and I hope they bring you success. Good luck!

    Your comments: What else did you do to excel at your first job?  Share with others in the comment box below

    Guest Author: Georgina Stamp worked in the executive search industry and currently works for Marble Hill Partners, who help provide interim management.

    This is a Guest post with edits in Italics by Lei Han.  If you would like to submit a guest post to BeMyCareerCoach.com, please follow these guest post guidelines.