What did *you* do to get your promotion?

[Scam]

(I wrote a long spiel about my current role but not sure it is helpful for this conversation, actually. So I removed it.)

I'm getting impatient. Not helpful when I see people breezing on up the ladder. a lot of people who were on the same level as me when I joined the company are now two levels up. So I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong. Admittedly there's no easy answer and it totally depends on your company, your boss, his/her boss etc. But I'm just wondering what I'm not doing. I've written all of the right stuff in my reviews, I've made it clear to my boss I want it, I've taken on more responsibility in my role, I work out of hours when required, I'm helpful to other people and departments, I've networked well within the company. But clearly I'm not doing something. Do people that get a promotion every 2 years sit there and argue with their boss? Do they always threaten to leave for another offer? I know one colleague who produced a whole deck to present, is that expected? Do you always have to go over your boss's head to theirs? Do you have to get allies to fight your corner?

So I guess I'm just asking, what has the process been before you got a recent promotion? Sometimes it feels like other people just sit there, do a decent job and get a promotion after 2 years without even asking.

Edit: Maybe better to reframe the question a little. Let’s say you’ve done everything right, but just can’t quite seem to convince the powers that be that you are worthy of a promotion. Or they are rather useless and won’t fight your corner. How can you force the issue? It makes it harder that I’m here and my boss and department are in the US.

 

[Chuk_Chuk]

I've made it clear to my boss I want it,

What was their response to you?

Also how do you take feedback when it comes to your work? Do you try to argue why your not in the wrong or do you discuss ways to improve?

 

[ivrytwr3]

I got sore knees (not helpful i know!)

 

[BUDFORCE]

Took nearly 5 years of playing hours of PUBG every afternoon on company time to get a promotion.

 

[peterwalkley]

If you're not appreciated where you are, leave for a better job. A external move is almost always a bigger bump in salary and career progression.

 

[Scam]

What was their response to you?

Pretty much that they can’t convince their boss (the head of department) to take it any further. So I don’t really know if that’s true or they’re not trying either.

If you're not appreciated where you are, leave for a better job. A external move is almost always a bigger bump in salary and career progression.

Slightly annoyingly… Just as I’m losing my patience here there are changes afoot. Our HOD mentioned above will be retiring, and most people agree that my boss will follow (either his choice or not, they’ve already put him on an at-will contract). And I do really like the place I work, and am relatively happy with my pay/package at the moment although it could be better.

That said I have been looking around and keeping an eye on opportunities, if only maybe to force the issue if I can.

But in a way, I’m also stressed that really I need to get this bump before our HOD retires because otherwise I’m starting from the ground up again with his replacement (who has already joined the company in-waiting and I have met)

 

[BUDFORCE]

Sure you are not a "tryhard"?

It does depend on the company and culture/type of work you do but I often see these people get nowhere.

You have to appreciate that most people want an easy life, they may not admit or give that impression, but trust me they do.

If you are employee of the month and are also making a point of it, the powers that be may see you as a threat, if you get to the same level are you going to show everyone up?

Also you are showing that you are keen I'm finding more and more this is seen as weakness.

 

[FBi7]

Could you ask for a payrise instead? More money, same responsibilities.

 

[tom_e]

I kept telling my manager I didn't want it until one day I gave in and cashed that big fat pay cheque.

 

[ristac]

Do you mean promotion as in managing people, sometimes hard workers don’t mean they also have good people skills. I‘m assuming your company advertises internally when better jobs become available, do you get interviews when you apply, do you ask for feedback afterwards when unsuccessful

How long have you been in the same company, how many previous jobs, maybe it’s time to start looking to leave

 

[BUDFORCE]

I kept telling my manager I didn't want it until one day I gave in and cashed that big fat pay cheque.

Yup similar.

They created a roll above mine with 6 positions, and I didn't bother applying for first few times wasn't interested, after a year and a half I was basically asked to apply.

 

[Lopéz]

Do you work in a promotion environment? I was at TNT for 12 years, a company which (in 95% of cases) did not work in a promotion system - if you wanted a different, or more senior role, you had to apply for it and interview along with any other internal and external applicants. Of course people occasionally got tapped up or earmarked for positions but they still had to actively pursue them.

After that I worked in a much much smaller firm where basically if the MD thought you were alright he'd promote you as and when he saw fit, he actually created two new roles for me in the time I was there that previously never existed. Promotions didn't always come with salary increases and salary increases didn't always mean you were getting promoted.

How long have you been there? Do you have a good understanding of how all this generally works at your company?

 

[labbby]

herpes.

 

[throwaway4372]

Can you ask the people who got promoted what they did?

 

[malachi]

I resigned then they offered me a promotion to keep me in the company but ended up leaving anyway.

 

[bakes0310]

I have had 2 promotions at my company, I've been there 2 and a half years.
Haven't done anything special as they do seem to promote within the company quite a lot.
I done task that were for the role I wanted.
I worked with people that were in higher positions and got on with them I also got to know everyone else's roles in the company, in different departments.
I done as many courses as I could, still doing them now.
Made sure in my quarterly pdrs that my line manager and his boss knew my goals.

And that's it, but it depends on the workplace culture. I used to work for the council and done all the above and I didn't get recognised at all.

 

[Scam]

Sure you are not a "tryhard"?

I'm really not. I'm actually quite lazy but I'm good at getting stuff done, and managing people. IE I'd be amazingly surprised if anyone turned round and said "he doesn't know what he's doing".

Could you ask for a payrise instead? More money, same responsibilities.

To be fair I got a decent bump a year or two ago which probably put me in the ballpark of the next level up, but it's the fact that my CV says I've been in this role/level for 9 years without promotion that is starting to reflect badly.

I‘m assuming your company advertises internally when better jobs become available, do you get interviews when you apply, do you ask for feedback afterwards when unsuccessful

It's quite a tight department, and a niche role. But with fairly good prospects for expansion and responsibility. It was a new role when I joined so I have really carved it into my own. I do a lot of bread and butter stuff but also have taken on a lot that is not part of my job description. This is really more about getting my level upgraded (manager > director) to reflect the responsibility that I have, the work that I do etc.

Can you ask the people who got promoted what they did?

I've started doing that but it's difficult to not come across as jealous when talking to colleagues. Hence the thread

I have had 2 promotions at my company, I've been there 2 and a half years.
Haven't done anything special as they do seem to promote within the company quite a lot.
I done task that were for the role I wanted.
I worked with people that were in higher positions and got on with them I also got to know everyone else's roles in the company, in different departments.
I done as many courses as I could, still doing them now.
Made sure in my quarterly pdrs that my line manager and his boss knew my goals.

PDRs? Sounds like a dream though, you're exactly the sort of person that would do my nut here. Two promotions internally without really arguing for them? Lucky boy. Did they come with payrises too?

 

[slinxy]

Can I reverse the question? Why do you want to be promoted?
To manage/lead people? To get more money? to get more responsibility? to get a better job title?

I've only ever been given promotions at one company, but I started there as a grunt and moved up their set progress ladder and there was time restrictions in place, along with managers approval.
I had to switch teams at different stages as a manager clearly didn't like me and another time when I thought I was held back to pad his (the managers) own stats.

In other places, I was just given a job title when I started and did want I needed to do as I get more experinced in the role and take on more responsibilities. Sometimes the pay would be changed to reflect this and at other times it wasn't and I moved on.

Job titles has never been a factor for me, I've been with enough companys and seen the inside workings of enough to understand that the same/similar title at one place means something completely different at another.
The expection to this maybe if you have to interact with external clients on a daily bases and industry titles are required. Or you need to have a weighted say in policies and processes so you need to have a c-level job title.

I currenty hold a role that has serveal titles and serveal grades on different scales, it's just that I'm currently working for a world wide org and we have difference divsions. I have to interact with serval on a daily bases hence why I have different titles and grades to allow the staff in the different divisions to know where I sit in the org chart but this doesn't change what I do or have done on a daily bases.

Unless the company that you work for has a set career ladder and this is normally found in mid/large orgs to train up grunts, it's difficult for them to even recognise that they need "a position", let alone create one especially if the task for the position is getting filled by yourself when you don't have that postition.

If there's opportunities as in job adverts for other postitions within the same company, apply.... and make sure you get feedback on the reasons why you didn't get an interview/the job or even if you did get the job, get feedback on your strong and weak areas.

Your career progress should be part of your personal dev, and regular meetings with your direct line manager in the form of 1:1s. You both should be setting KPIs and SMARTs together so that you can be accessed correctly.
It's hard to say, as managers get graded on different aspects in different companies... how cheap they can run the department/service, how well they can make the most or develop/promote staff, how the transformed the department/service.. without knowing what matters to your boss, it's hard to suggest what to do to make the right impression on them. They may not be the one holding the cards....

AND if all else fails, leave.... go somewhere that values you... there is no such thing as loyalty when it comes to a job... in a few years away, you may want to go back to that company a better version of what you are now.

 

[FBi7]

but it's the fact that my CV says I've been in this role/level for 9 years without promotion that is starting to reflect badly.

That's totally understandable mate.

 

[clv101]

Many years ago, but my first big promotion, to a 'principal' role, decent bonus, car etc came about by applying for and getting the equivalent role at a competor. I had no intention of moving cities and taking the new role but luckily employer didn't call by bluff and I ended up as the youngest principal in the company!