Maybe you’ve finally landed a job at your dream company or maybe you’re just an ambitious person with high aspirations. Either way, if you’re looking to get promoted within your company down the road, there are some very important steps you can take to ensure that you’re considered for future positions.
Aside from dressing professionally, you should take steps to integrate yourself into different aspects of the company, making your input, creativity, and experience vital to the business’s operations. Read some of these tips and start implementing them into your everyday work life to increase your chance of getting that big promotion.
Make Your Career Objectives Clear
From the beginning of your career, you should set specific goals both for yourself and your employers. Although our goals do sometimes change over time, try to get a good sense of where you’d like to be in the future. Most employers like asking the question, “Where do you see yourself in the next five years?” during interviews. Try to answer this question honestly.
And, even if they don’t ask during your interview, put the information out there. Let your potential employer know that you’re thinking about the future, and that you want to be a part of the company’s future as well. This will show a level of motivation and commitment that is attractive to employers. Companies want to retain employees to keep their turnover rates low, especially when they find a hard worker.
Collaborate with Co-Workers
Being able to work closely with others in your company is an important part of working your way up within a company. It shows that you have the ability to collaborate and potentially delegate work, which is an essential skill in someone who may be interested in overseeing other employees in the future. Being able to work closely with colleagues can also be advantageous in case someone in another department or higher-up position decides to pass on a positive review about you to your superior.
Take Initiative on Projects
One of the greatest ways to show your boss or manager that you are a valuable part of the team and an employee who is ready and willing to take on more responsibilities is by showing strong initiative. If there’s any extra work that needs to be done, be the first person to volunteer. Take advantage of any other opportunities that others might shy away from as well. This will show that you care about the company and you’re willing to put in more work to get the job done.
Another great way to take initiative is to approach your superiors with a new idea. For example, if you come up with a new way to make a process work efficiently, or you’ve got a great idea for a new project, don’t be scared to mention it to your manager.
Even if they don’t take your suggestion, letting your boss know that you’re thinking about the company and you’re genuinely interested in making it a better place demonstrates a great deal of motivation and leadership skills. These are also extremely vital traits that employers look for when they want to promote from within. Be proactive and let your ideas be heard.
Become a Vital Part of the Company
If you can find a way to make yourself indispensable, a company will be more likely to promote you. Anyone who is just there doing the bare minimum and not adding much to the company or the company culture can be viewed as disposable—it’s easy to find someone who will do just what they’re told and nothing more. If you want to make it big at your company, this is not the way you’re going to act.
You should make it clear that you are willing to go above and beyond to get the job done. Of course, you don’t want to do so much that you’re burning yourself out, but put a little extra thought and time into your work. Trust us, it will shine through. If you are able to be in charge of one specific task or department that is particularly important, this is a great way to become an essential employee. You want your employers to feel as though losing you would negatively impact the company.
Record Your Success
If you’re a hardworking employee, you are sure to garner many achievements throughout your working life. Every time you accomplish something or add to the company in a positive way, be sure to keep track because you can use this information to emphasize your importance and leverage a potential promotion and raise.
If you’ve taken on a lot of new clients recently, this is one great way to let your manager know that you’ve upped your workload and feel that because you’re handling it well, you deserve to take on more responsibility. Be sure to point out any times you did take the initiative on a project as further examples of your motivation.
Speak to Your Boss Directly
Don’t wait for someone to approach you about a promotion. If you’re really interested in moving up in the company and adding more responsibilities to your position, make sure this is known.
Even if there are no positions currently open, request a meeting with your boss and inform him or her that you’re interested in a promotion. Although he or she may not be able to make that happen right away, it will be on their radar the next time a position opens up. Or, they may even want to create an entirely new position for you if it makes sense. Don’t be nervous; being direct and assertive can be a great way to take control of your career path.
Take Charge and Achieve Your Dreams
If you really put your mind to achieving your goals, you can do it. It might require a bit more motivation and hard work, but if you’re willing to put in the time, you can get to where you aspire to be. Take these tips we’ve given you to demonstrate to your employers how important you are to the company and let your innovativeness hint at the ways you can potentially improve the business.
Right off the bat, you need to make the right impression, so learn how to dress professionally and wear jewelry that is subtle and office-appropriate like the Figaro style gold chain or delicate bracelets. Then set a career goal for yourself and take these steps to work your way up.
Disclosure: This article was written by a guest author.