Hey Coach—Put Me In! Ways to Show Your Boss You’re Ready for a Promotion

To promote or not to promote? Many of us don’t want to simply tread water in our careers, but move ahead! However, your boss won’t be likely to promote you if they feels you are just barely getting by at your current job. That’s why you need to prove you’re ready, willing and able to do more and take charge!

Five ways to show your boss you’re promotion-worthy

If you’re a workplace rockstar, meeting (and exceeding!) expectations, delivering on responsibilities and often going above and beyond—you may be ready for a promotion. Here’s how to demonstrate your readiness to your boss:

1. Review your task list. Review your to-do list with your boss on a regular basis. Weekly or bi-weekly 1:1 meetings are a great way to start—and if you don’t already have them, request them! When you have a clear understanding of what’s expected of you, you’ll be able to show your boss what you’re accomplishing and you’re ready to take on more.
2. Become a master at prioritizing. Every day, prioritize your to-do list to give yourself enough time to tackle your most important tasks. Rank other less-important tasks lower down on the list, with the tasks that don’t necessarily have to be completed right away at the very bottom. Keep your list reasonable. You want to consistently set yourself up for success, and don’t want to continuously find yourself unable to deliver on deadlines.
3. Take initiative. Leaders have great ideas and aren’t afraid to share them. If you notice something in your workplace that could be improved and you have an idea for how to get this done—speak up! Become an innovator and volunteer for projects that will help the company and the people you work with.
4. Help those around you. If you see that co-workers need help, step in and offer your assistance—just be sure to let your boss know about your plans. It’s important to keep your boss in the loop on how you spend your workday, just in case they would prefer you prioritize other tasks. Working to satisfy your boss’s requirements is important—but it’s also good to show them you’re a team player who’s willing to help. Open communication is key.
5. Ask for more. When your boss can clearly see you’re getting your work done, it’s time to ask for more responsibility. During a 1:1, talk about your daily assignments and note that you like what you do, but you’d be interested in further challenges. Ask your boss what steps you would need to take to continue to grow and work towards the next level in your position.

Understand the answer is not always yes

Your boss may want to promote you, but can only advance employees into positions the company needs filled, and within the budget available. Your boss may be reporting to their own boss, and probably needs to get approval on any raises and promotions. It’s good to show initiative, but go into any conversation with a positive attitude, and resolve to keep it, despite the outcome.

Look around if you need to

If you’re ready to do more, but can’t find opportunities within your current workplace, it may be time to move on. And Inter-Connect can help. To learn more, contact us today!