You are promoted! Isn't that the best news you would want to hear from your manager?
I bet everyone who has a little bit of ambition is dreaming of getting promoted and to be paid
higher, right? Today I'm gonna share a few tips on how to speed up your promotion and how to get
an approval on it. Hi everyone, my name is Kristina Kushner and you are in my Project Management
Sandbox. This is the space for IT project managers and for those who want to join the industry.
If you want to know more tips and tricks on project management in IT make sure to
subscribe and support my channel, and share this video with your friends. Now getting back to our
promotion topic... Today I would want to share some tips on how to be noticed at work, on how to ask
for a promotion and what is not less important, how to be approved on it. Let's get started!
How to be noticed at work? Well, here you would want to look at the situation from the
business perspective. Imagine you are a CEO of the company, so who would you want to pay more?
Usually this is applicable to the high profile specialists who are unique in their field. Meaning
that if there is some specific live event, or you probably earned more years of experience in the company
all this may not be enough. What you really want to look at is your value that you're bringing
to the team, the value that you're bringing to the projects you are working on, and not less important
the value you are bringing to the company in general. What is more, bringing the value in your
current role and bringing the outstanding value is not the same, okay? Basically, if you are aiming
to get promoted you need to already perform and show up at the desirable level. For example, if
you are now a developer and you are aiming to get promoted to the team lead or technical lead on the
project you need not only to be highly skilled technically and to have a sufficient background,
but also you need to be soft-skilled and demonstrate the leadership qualities so that
everybody can see that you are already a great fit for this position. What else can you do to get
promoted? First, be transparent about your intention. Should you already have this ambition when you are
being hired, or if this ambition woke up later on, it is a good move to discuss this opportunity
with your manager. First - be transparent and communicate your intention to get promoted
and outline the desirable role you are willing to get; second-highlight your desire to work hard and
smart and to grow professionally in order to level up and to meet the expectations for taking over
a new role. Both by the way will add points to your profile. Next tip is to build a clear plan.
Promotion should not be opportunistic. It should be built into your professional growth plan.
Thus, what you would want to do is to find out what is needed in order to be promoted and
find out the realistic timeline for implementing these changes into your professional growth plan.
Another step would be to share your plan with your manager who supports you. That would be actually a
great opportunity to discuss your plan with a manager and to show up as a professional who
perceives the professional growth as a strategic activity. Basically, we all want to promote
people who are taking action and getting things done. No one wants to promote wind blowers. Next tip
and my favorite one - be sure to keep the track of your achievements. This is
the best thing that you can do for yourself. Therefore, make it a habit to maintain the achievements
diary. This is something you would want to record on a regular basis and
constantly update. This diary is for yourself, for your resume, for your self-recognition.
Secondly, you would want to do this because when the time comes and you would need to
recall everything what you have done for the company, all the value that you have brought
that could be really challenging to sit and to try to remember everything and a single attempt.
Moreover, people tend to remember negative things and negative experience, but when they're doing
something great or remarkable sometimes we really do not remember this even for
ourselves. The best thing you can do is to maintain the achievements diary and believe me
that gonna be extremely helpful. When it is the right moment to ask for a promotion?
The very first thing you would want to do is to make a research. What you are looking for
is the requirements for the role and the salaries for the position you're willing to take. The next
step in your research would be to find out what is the overall situation in the company and if
they are currently looking for a professional. What is more, what you would want to know if
your skills and experience correspond with their expectations for this role. Frankly
speaking in the majority of the companies people prefer to promote internal resources rather than
taking a fresh meat from the market. This is cheaper and easier for everyone. You already know
the structure, you already know the colleagues, and you already know the values, as well as the company best practices
and company policies. This will facilitate the
collaboration and a lot of other things.
Next, what is the current company financial situation? If there are issues with funds, chances are that the request to increase your salary could be rejected.
Other two things to consider when you're thinking about whether this is a right moment to ask for
a promotion are: your fails and wins behind within this current company. As for the fails,
be honest with yourself. No one is perfect and no one wants to have perfect people
around them. Thus, if there were failed projects or failed tasks, or if there was a negative feedback
just acknowledge this. If you are able to acknowledge your mistakes, if you are able
to learn the lessons, and if you are able to take over the accountability this is a great moment to
highlight your skills and capabilities. On the other hand, if we're talking about wins review
your recent experience within the company. Have you just completed a high profile project? Or maybe
you have just got certified or earned a new credential? Or potentially you have on-boarded
a very prospective client? If so, that is a great starting point to move forward. By the way,
guys let me know in comments what do you think is the perfect moment to ask for a promotion?
So, you have applied a significant effort in order to be noticed at work; you have discussed and
you have been transparent with your manager in your intention to get promoted and now you have
his or her support; what is more, you have made a research and found out this is the perfect
moment to initiate the promotion... What's gonna be your action plan? The first thing in your list
is to talk with your HR manager in order to find out whether there is any specific process you need
to follow within the company? Potentially there is a specific period when it is acceptable to talk
about the promotion within your organization. Be sure to find out what is the right moment.
Not less important is during your chat with HR you would need to find out if there
is anything specific you need to get prepared for in order to initiate this promotion process.
As I have mentioned there could be some specific processes, or even could be some specific
dates, and not only this, there could be some specific requirements for people who would
want to get promoted. Obviously, the next step in your list would be to get prepared. You
would want to study and learn both short and long-term company goals, okay?
Everyone wants to have people who want to grow professionally. However, if your professional
goals are not aligned with the company goals this doesn't bring much value to them, right? That is
why it would be good to align your professional goals with the company business goals,
and highlight how actually you are going to bring value to the company. Another thing to consider
is to get back to your achievements diary. And this is not only about the achievements that
you have defined personally. It would also be good to ask for the reviews and references
from your colleagues, from your team and from your manager. It is always nice to have evidence not
only from yourself but from the people who are working with you.
BTW, you will continue working with them and it is good to find out if you are creating a good
professional atmosphere around you. Step number three in your action plan would be to present
yourself. If you remember, initially we have been talking about the approach that you would want to choose
when you were thinking about an opportunity to get promoted. Basically, you would want to look
at the situation from the business perspective. The business needs to understand you're going to
be a valuable investment if they decide to raise your salary. Thus, this is the step when you
are going to sell yourself to the business to be hired to a new role with a higher salary.
Before you have initiated this promotion process you have made the research, right?
You have found out what is the market situation in terms of the roles requirements and salaries, so
be realistic in your expectations. And not only this, while presenting yourself what you would want
to show is the value that you have already brought to the company and the value that you are going to
bring. Along with that be sure to highlight your professional goals. Meaning, this career level up
is not going to be your final destination. You're still planning
to develop yourself professionally further within the company and your professional development
is aligned with the company goals. Remember, promotion is not a one-day decision or one-day
activity. You need to plan and work towards this. Try to be as much strategic as possible.
Let me know in comments your results! If you like this video and if you want to know
more tips on professional topics and more tips on IT be sure to subscribe and we'll chat soon!