Want a Raise or a Promotion? Follow This Advice
- Go above and beyond the qualifications required for your job
Today just meeting job qualifications is not enough. There are countless other individuals who can check the boxes next to each of the job requirements and perhaps even more. People who get raises and who are promoted offer something beyond what’s required. Prepare yourself for a raise or promotion by determining what you offer. Below are some traits to consider:
Valuable – What does my value add to the team and the company? How do I go beyond what is required? For example, imagine that you are applying for a Business Development Director role. Do you have a substantial contact list of potential business partners because you excel at networking?
Compelling – What are the compelling reasons why you should have a raise or the promotion? what is interesting (and perhaps not even required to do the job) to the people who are making the decision? For example, if you speak three languages, that’s interesting – even if the role only requires English.
Unique – what can you offer that other qualified candidates can’t? Identify the things that you uniquely bring to the role. What traits put you in a category of one? For example, perhaps you spent most of your career working on the client side in a highly-specialized business, and you are now pursuing a role as a client relations director at your ad agency.
2) Act like you already have the job.
Hiring managers don’t want to take risks when it comes to their talent. In the lean organization of today, there is no room for mistakes. That applies to hiring new staff and to promoting existing team members. When it comes to granting promotions, your boss is looking for someone who has already honed the skills necessary to be successful in this new role. When you’re seeking a promotion, make a list of the skills necessary to do the job, and then find ways to demonstrate those skills in the role you have.
That will likely mean taking risks – like tackling the big, honking problem that everyone knows about but is reluctant to touch, or stepping outside your comfort zone to stretch yourself. To show you can handle the role you desire, you need to go beyond the skills you are using every day for your current job.
Volunteer for projects that give you this opportunity. Look beyond what you do at work. You may be able to demonstrate these skills through your professional associations, etc. Being on a board or taking a leadership role in an extracurricular organization can help you master the skills you need to be considered. Just make sure you let decision makers know what you’re achieving.
3) Show your commitment to the team and company
If you are on the list for promotion, you’ll increase your chances of being promoted when you show your long-term commitment to the team and the organization. It’s costly and disruptive to have leaders leaving all the time. Your boss is looking for someone to count on – someone who believes in the strategies and the mission of the organization. Be the brand ambassador for your team. Tout the accomplishments of your colleagues, your boss, and the team.
Above all, do the same for the organization. Become your company’s most fervent brand ambassador. Understand the corporate strategy, mission, vision, and values. Live the brand in everything you do. Volunteer to be a part of multi-disciplinary groups. Offer to mentor junior staff, and volunteer to speak to new hires during onboarding. Share your company’s content with your connections through social media. You must prove that you know what the company is about and showcase your commitment to helping the company achieve its goals.
For more detailed information on how to secure the career of your dreams, download the FREE book and video under the shop section on the HelloBeautifulLadies.com website.
