Last Updated on 1 year by Editorial Team

Many of us would love to be promoted. Advancement usually means more influence, more money and more control over your day-to-day tasks – just to name a few perks.

But how do you get promoted? Isn’t it out of your hands?

Not really. Yes, the decision to be promoted is one your organization ultimately has to make. But, by proactively pursuing a promotion, you drastically increase your chances.

So, what’s the best way to pursue a promotion? It comes down to two things: acting in a way that’ll warrant a promotion and asking your boss for that promotion.

This article covers both.

The Qualities You Need to Exhibit to be Promoted

Promotions aren’t just handed out because you want them. You need to earn your promotion by first acting in a way that’s promotable.

What does that mean, exactly? Well, here are the qualities you need to display to be seriously considered for promotion:

1. You need to be good at your job.

This sounds obvious. But, if you aren’t performing above average in your job, it’s nearly impossible to be promoted.

So, put your focus here first. But being good at your job isn’t enough – being good at your job just proves that you are good at your current job. To be promoted, you need to prove that you’d be good at a bigger job.

The rest of the qualities demonstrate that.

2. You prove you can develop yourself.

This is the difference between a high-performing employee who will stay in their role forever and a high-potential employee who will quickly move up the ladder.

A high-performing employee will do their job well, yes. But their performance reviews will look the same year-after-year – the same portfolio of strengths and weaknesses.

Conversely, the high-potential employee proves to their employer that they are not just going to excel in the role they have, but push themselves to continually improve. This means they take on new and different responsibilities. It means they are aren’t afraid of lateral moves, if it means the chance to master new skills. It means they actively solicit feedback from others to understand what they are weak in. And, it means they learn on their own time.

If you do those things, it’ll show that you have a growth mindset, not a fixed one. And that’s how you become seen as a high-potential employee, instead of just a high-performing one.

3. You are easy to work with and have strong relationships across the organization.

Being promoted isn’t a decision your boss makes in a vacuum. At most organizations, promotions require the green-light of other people within your organization as well.

And there’s no quicker way to hurt your chances of getting promoted than making enemies. Instead, you want to do the exact opposite – you want people to be on your side, to root for you to get promoted.

How?

It’s simple, really. Be a good partner. Treat people with respect, even if they don’t treat you with respect. Be aware how you show up.

Remember – it might feel good in the moment to get frustrated at someone or blow someone off, but that can kill your chances to move up within an organization.

4. You see the bigger picture.

Being promoted means getting a bigger role within the organization. And the best way to show that you are worthy of that bigger role is by seeing beyond your day-to-day and thinking strategically about how your efforts can most help the organization.

This means really understanding the business you are in and how your role – and your department – fits in. That’ll empowers you to make more strategic suggestions to your manager. It also means understanding the culture your organization is looking to build and acting in a way that exemplifies it.

5. You are a “yes” person.

This doesn’t mean you should agree with everything your boss says – in fact, disagreeing thoughtfully will help your career.

No, instead, this means saying “yes” when there are opportunities to expand your role. Maybe there’s a group you can join within the office. Or a pilot you can be a part of. Or a new, lean team that needs members.

Whenever possible, say yes if it means an expanded scope.

Obviously, you need to prioritize smartly here. But, if you can start taking on new responsibilities and projects outside your core role, you prove to your boss that can handle a bigger job – while also building relationships with more people across the organization.

6. You listen.

There’s this misconception that you need to dominate every conversation you are in to prove to everyone you are indeed a leader.

In reality, the exact opposite is true.

One of the best ways to improve yourself, to form great relationships with others and to become more strategic is to actively listen. If this isn’t a strength of yours, make it one.

7. You are purposeful with what you say and how you say it.

“Language is everything. Your words tell people who you are – your language is imperative in your ability to get promoted.”

How to Ask Your Boss for a Promotion

The single biggest mistake people make looking for a promotion is they think if they keep their head down and work hard they’ll get one.

That’s giving away your power. Instead, be proactive – if you believe you are worthy of a promotion or would like to earn one down the road, ask your boss for it.

How?

Here are a few best practices:

1. Ask your boss what it’ll take to get a promotion, instead of demanding one that moment.

Unless you are truly willing to follow through, it’s not a good idea to give your boss an ultimatum like, “Give me a promotion or I’ll quit.”

Instead, you should tell your boss with what you want early in your relationship with them and work with them to make it happen. If you want to be promoted, tell your boss that and ask them what it’ll take. This will also give you a realistic timetable and guide to getting that promotion.

This will also turn your boss into your biggest cheerleader, instead of a potential adversary.

2. You have a business case ready for why you should be promoted.

If you followed step one, when you officially ask your boss for a promotion shouldn’t come as a surprise. But still, regardless of how good of a relationship you have with your boss or what you’ve agreed upon with them before, many times you’ll still need to make the business case on why you should be promoted.

3. Don’t make these four mistakes when asking for a promotion.

There are several mistakes people make when asking for a promotion that’ll hurt your chances. Some of the most common are:

• Don’t compare yourself to others. Don’t tell your boss that you should be promoted because your colleague – who does half the work you do, mind you – just did. This can make you come across as unprofessional and criticizes both the person who was promoted and the people who agreed to promote him or her.
• Don’t think a good personal relationship with your boss will lead to a promotion. It helps to have a good personal relationship with your boss, sure. But that alone won’t mean a promotion – your boss needs to justify to their boss that you are worthy of promotion, and them saying “I like this person” isn’t going to cut it.
• Know the state of the business. The worst time to ask your boss for a promotion is after a layoffs – you better have a really, really compelling business case. Know the state of the business – along with being a key quality to getting promoted, it’ll help you frame your business case.
• Getting emotional if your boss doesn’t promote you. If you believe you deserve a promotion and you don’t get one, you might get emotional. That’s fine – if you do it alone. But don’t get emotional toward your boss. It could ruin your relationship with them and paint you as unprofessional.

How can Kazicloud Help you to grow your career?

Here at Kazicloud, one of our main goals is to help candidates get great job opportunities and retain them. We give professional tips and advise on best workplace practices. Contact us if you need help with your CV, Interview skills or working on how to get promoted at work.

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