Merit Criteria for Promotion
Congratulations! You have a job, you enjoy it, and you want to get ahead in it. That means a promotion. Contrary to depictions in sitcoms, it's actually relatively easy to get a promotion by working hard and following some simple steps.
Steps
- Do your job. This shouldn't need to be said, but all too often people ignore it. A promotion is an increase in responsibility, so before a boss awards a promotion, he or she will want to see the candidate not only living up to their current responsibilities but excelling at them. Do your job, and do it well, whatever it is.
- Talk to your boss. If you seem happy with your current role, your boss may not know you want to be promoted or are anxious. By letting him or her know you're trying to get ahead, you place yourself in his or her mind as a potential candidate. Moreover, your boss can tell you exactly what you need to do to get that promotion, whether that means taking additional training courses, contributing to other products, or increasing your output.
- Listen to your boss's advice. If you were told to take a class, get in that class right now. If the class is full, get a copy of the course material and read it on your own. If you need to raise your productivity by 10%, plan to put in a half day every weekend until your productivity goes up.
- Remember: real winners don't play politics. They take them very seriously. Talking trash about your rivals just makes you look petty and, even if it works, will earn you the enmity of everyone who now reports to you. Good politics means playing up your accomplishments, not downplaying your rivals'. Sell yourself!
Warnings
- Before you embark on this path, talk to someone who's worked in the promoted position to be sure it's something you want. Getting the promotion is a lot of work, but it doesn't end when you get the promotion. In fact, that's only the beginning. If the idea of giving up some of your weekend or spending your free time on training classes strikes you as burdensome, consider how much you really want this promotion.
- If you don't get the promotion, don't flip out and don't gossip about the reasons why someone else got it. Discuss with your boss why you were passed over, then use that feedback to make yourself a better candidate next time. If the promotion will not become available again in a reasonable period of time, discuss a lateral movement to a position with more growth opportunities.
- Never threaten to quit if you don't get a promotion. Most employers would rather lose a good employee with a bad attitude than promote a self-entitled attitude to a position of authority.
