How not to behave when you want a promotion
Few people are content to stay in the same job at the same level for the whole of their working life. At some point, they will want to be promoted, earn more money and have more responsibility. Yet some people sabotage their own changes of promotion by acting in ways that are detrimental to their career success. You can avoid doing this by considering the following factors.
In general, confidence is a good thing in the workplace, especially if you are confident in a friendly, engaging way. However, if you are confident to the point that you intimidate others, or even belittle them for their lack of confidence, you aren't likely to be viewed as a popular member of the team. To an extent, promotion is a popularity contest; if you don't fit in well with everyone else, you aren't likely to be viewed as a good candidate for promotion. Try to reign in your confidence so that the negative aspects don't show.
It is also easy to sabotage your chances of promotion by being too reticent about what you want. Many promotions come with more management potential and to do this effectively, you need to be able to let people know what you want from them. This is also the risk that, if you sit back and keep a low profile, your boss may not notice you, let alone realise you are hoping for a promotion. Sometimes, this is becauselow self-esteemmeans that you don't believe you deserve to be promoted. Try to overcome this and give your boss good reason to notice you.
No man is an island, particularly in the workplace. You need to work as a team towards a common goal. If you don't pull your weight, or are inclined to act autonomously, you will be viewed as a bit of a loose cannon. In general, when looking for promotion material, managers want candidates who will not only get the job done, but will work as a member of a team and fill in if extra help is needed. Don't be tempted to come in late, leave early and generally be happy to leave the bulk of the work to someone else. It will be noticed.
If you aren't paid for it, you may be unwilling to do anything other than what it is your job description. Once upon a time, that would be enough, but in this economic climate, it simply isn't. You need to show willingness to work to full capacity during the hours for which you are paid, but also to work extra hours, especially if you are hoping for a promotion. This could be difficult if you have children and need to leave on time, but maybe you can work through your lunch hour when necessary, or take work home with you to do once the children are in bed.
No matter what type of personality you have, you need to ensure you have good communication skills. If you deal with customers in particular, you should ensure you are friendly and approachable. Remember that they are paying for a product or service. Even if you don't deal with customers, you still need to polish up your communication skills; if you don't communicate well with colleagues, you are likely to scupper your chances of being considered for promotion. Ask your boss for tips and take advantage of any training courses available.
You will almost certainly have plenty of opportunities to further your knowledge in your current job. This could involve participating in training courses, taking part in mentoring schemes, shadowing other members of staff, or simply taking part in team-building opportunities outside the workplace. Those looking to promote you will want to know that you are willing to learn, even if it initially seems to be outside the scope of your current job. Showing willingness to learn will, however, stand you in good stead for promotion.
If you want to be promoted in today's economic environment, you will almost certainly have to go over and above the call and duty. Find out what is expected of the job that you hope to gain following promotion and do all that you can to aim towards that.
