How to get that well-earned promotion

According to studies, almost a third of employees are overqualified for the job they do.  But why is that?

Why are so many of us sticking with the jobs we know, instead of using these skills to progress up the career ladder?  For a lot of people it is the fear of the unknown. The worry that change won’t bring the results you were hoping for.

So what can you do? How can you find the courage to take this leap of faith?

The first step is to recognise your accomplishments.
For instance, if you have gone above and beyond to bolster your CV and develop your skills – through online courses, volunteering, work experience, etc., then these accomplishments are a testament to your dedication and desire for more.
They are living proof that you are ready to take on more responsibilities and get a pay rise.  For this reason, you should never doubt that you are ready for that elusive promotion. If anything, employers will be impressed by your commitment to your career and long term development.

Next, you should:

• Make yourself visible – work experience and qualifications will only get you so far. You also need to make yourself visible and take on additional responsibilities before you are paid for them. By seizing opportunities to prove yourself and put these new skills into action, this will further indicate to your employers that you are equipped to handle the job. TIP: you need to go the extra mile and use projects to impress them with your capabilities. This can range from offering your ideas/insights during meetings to using your expertise to assist members of your team;
• Ensure they can see that you are overqualified for your current job – by highlighting your growing skillset, and offsetting them against what you do; they’ll recognise that you are an under-used resource and will consider you for a promotion before you’ve even applied;
• Prepare yourself for change – with extra responsibility will come a higher level of expectation, accountability, potential for stress and greater working hours. You need to be mentally, emotionally and physically prepared for this, so that when you make the transition you won’t be overwhelmed;
• Ensure your time management skills are on par – showing your boss that you already use tools/techniques to effectively manage your workload, will give them the confidence to offer you more, as they’ll know that you are able to handle it.
  Consider your image and reputation within the company – what are they looking for? Do you fit into what they want? It is important that you do your research and use this information so you can project your image to those that matter;
• Pick the opportune moment to state your intention – appraisal meetings are a great time to share with your employer your desire to progress/be promoted. For instance, you can use this meeting to highlight your successes and performance achievements, and how they can be used to benefit the business. This means you need to enter your appraisal fully prepared, so you can effectively showcase your strengths;
• Be ready to make a compromise – there is a chance that they won’t be able to promote you instantly, and that you’ll have to wait for an opportunity to become available

The reality is, you cannot go into this situation blind. Yet with careful preparation and planning, it is possible to achieve the career progression that you crave.

Simply, keep striving to prove yourself and show what an asset you are to the business, and the opportunity to climb WILL present itself. Just have faith.

For more information on how to boost your credentials, take a look at our range of online courses today.