You love your career. You see yourself in it for the long haul. In your heart, you know you have so much to contribute to your current organisation, and there’s a lot in it for you. In fact, you’re eyeing your next promotion. You’re convinced that you have what it takes to level up in the organisational hierarchy.
No matter how deserving you are, the process won’t be easy. You need to be strategic. Here are the best practices that will boost your promotability.
Expand your internal network
You expand your external network by maintaining a professional relationship with clients, customers, or vendors. That’s excellent gameplay. However, you must not neglect your internal network.
Do no limit your circle to people from within your department, for example. Build rapport with as many colleagues as possible, regardless of rank. These people can vouch for your competencies one day. That goes without saying you need to be conscious of who is in charge. Make sure they notice your invaluable contribution to the organisation.
Collect training and seminars
Every time the organisation provides you with an opportunity to participate in training and seminars, grab the chance. These official functions will give you a competitive edge. They will look great on your resume.
Plus, you’ll gain practical knowledge. Your competencies will improve. You will have more to contribute to the organisation. That’s something that won’t go unnoticed. By the time your superiors start scouting for people to move up the corporate ladder, you’ll be one of the top choices.
Learn new skills
Never be complacent. Do not stop learning. Hoard skills that will, in one way or another, prove practical. If you lack the formal educational background shared by your colleagues, learning new skills will come in handy. You can explore trade recognition opportunities to ensure your skills are appraised properly.
The key is to supplement whatever you lack with something just as valuable. For instance, if you lack an MBA, you can make up for it by showcasing your managerial competencies on-floor. Practice trumps theory.
Work as if you’ve already been promoted
You can’t tell yourself that you’ll prove your worth once you’re given the promotion you’ve been eyeing for a long time. The ideal scenario is even without that promotion, your work ethic has already leveled up. After all, you want the people in charge to notice all the tricks up your sleeve.
Keep in mind that people who get promoted don’t get promoted because their superiors see potential in them. They get promoted because that potential is already at play.
Be a team player
Sure, you need to focus on your personal goals career-wise. But that does not mean you have to fly solo. You’re part of an organisation, and the first thing expected of you is to be a team player. You cannot expect to be given a more important role which entails people management, if you cannot work within a group.
Plus, you must take it upon yourself to provide add-on value to your existence within the organisational structure. Show a newbie the ropes. Consider being a mentor even if that’s not part of your job responsibility. It will show your superiors that you’re ready to take charge.
Make yourself valuable in more ways than one
Wear as many hats as you can without compromising the quality of your work output. You don’t want to be that colleague who is great at technology, and that’s it. You want to be great at conflict resolution too. Or you want to step up when it’s time to plan your organisation’s Christmas party. The goal is to showcase your versatility.
As part of the workforce, your goal is to have not just a job but a rewarding career. Remember that those things are different. The former is something you do, while the latter is something you achieve. The former gets you by while the latter gets you going. Do not limit yourself. Know your worth and know that it will take you places.
Use the strategies cited above to help you get ahead. Remember that this list is by no means exhaustive. There are other tactics you could employ. Have a good grasp of your organisation’s culture and use that knowledge to come up with a tailored-fit approach for increasing your promotability. There’s no shame in being ambitious, so do not shy away from voicing out your personal goals career-wise. Your superiors will appreciate a go-getter, and that’s exactly how you want to come off.
