Would you like a promotion at work? Of course you would – who wouldn’t? More money, expanding opportunities, and the chance to show what you can do at a higher level may be part of the reasoning why, but marking yourself out as the sort of person worthy of getting promoted may be trickier than you think. Just what is it that makes an employer pick one worker for promotion over another – especially if they are both doing their job well? The difference between being right and being wrong for promotion seems to be about attitude, but what does that mean exactly?
The first thing to realise is that doing your job well is not always enough to get you promoted. If you are the sort of person who comes in and does their job efficiently and leaves on time every day without really reaching out to others you may find that you are passed over for promotion. Getting along with others will really help your career – even thought this can be tough for more introverted characters. People like to work with people who are personable and friendly, it makes the day go quicker, so don’t be unfriendly or aloof at work – especially with your boss!
Confidence is another attractive quality to show at work. Knowing what you are doing is different from faking it, however, so don’t pretend that you can do something when you can’t – if it all blows up in your face you will make yourself look far worse than if you just admitted you needed a little help in the first place!
However, possibly more important than being friendly and confident is the need to show that you are willing to work. Are you the sort of person who will chip in to help others, sometimes staying a bit later if need be to help with a special project? This is not to say you should stay late all the time, or constantly pick up after others, but showing that you are willing to go a bit further to help your boss or employer shows you have the right sort of attitude.
Rather than work being all about what you are contracted to do to get paid, you are looking at the bigger picture. Seeing the business as a whole is what managers need to be able to do, so showing this type of vision will help mark you out as having promotion potential.
It is about thinking beyond your own work, showing that you are dependable and willing to get stuck in to help take pressure off your boss. You may think like this already, in which case great, but if not perhaps it is time to start looking slightly further than your own 9-5.
Every workplace is different so there may be different emphasis placed on different skills, but showing that you are a conscientious and dependable employee who can be trusted never goes out of style, wherever you work! You attitude will say a lot about how suitable you are for promotion.
