How To Show Your Boss You’re Ready For A Promotion

promotion at work

Staying in one company can lead to great career advancements. Taking on extra responsibility, finishing outstanding projects, and building your skill set in the workplace can all lead to a job promotion. If you want to gain a better job title and a bigger salary, you must make yourself an invaluable member of your team. 

How Do Job Promotions Work?

A job promotion means that an employee is moved up the ranks of an organization. It will usually mean taking a role with more responsibility and more authority over your colleagues. A job promotion will usually mean you get a nice salary increase and possibly other bonuses. For many people in the corporate world, getting promoted is a sure sign of success.

What Are Some Signs That Your Company Is Thinking Of Promoting You?

There are several signs that may show your company is thinking of promoting you. Perhaps your manager is giving you more responsibility and extra tasks to see how you handle the pressure. You may be asked to work on more high-profile projects within your role. If you manage the workload well, you may well be in line for a promotion. 

1. Is your department growing?

There may well be opportunities for promotion opening up if your department is growing. If you already know the company and the job, this will give you a big advantage for obtaining any new positions. Perhaps your company has asked to mentor some junior staff. If you show that you can guide and help others, you show that you are good management material.

2. Do you do really well in performance reviews?

If you do really well in your performance reviews and you consistently exceed expectations, your company may well be taking note of this. If new jobs are posted internally, it could be a perfect opportunity for you. If your boss leaves, it could also open the door for you to be promoted. 

3. Are you able to do work beyond your job description?

And finally, if you are doing work that is way beyond the remit of your job description, you could well be in line for a job promotion. If, for example, you are supposed to be a junior member of staff, but you are basically managing projects. 

Ways To Show You’re Ready For A Promotion

If you want to be promoted at work, you need to show that you are ready. You must show that you are an emerging leader and have what it takes to succeed. You can show your value to your company by consistently offering positive solutions. Don’t just think about yourself, but try to think of the company as a whole.

1. Learn to delegate

You can show leadership qualities by learning to delegate. When delegating, you need to give team members room to engage in their own processes. You can also initiate difficult conversations with team members and hold them accountable. 

2. Learn to work strategically

To show you are ready for a promotion, learn to work strategically. Working harder won’t always get you ahead. It is essential to work smarter and to focus on the right things. Build positive work relationships with the right people. Prioritize your time. 

3. Show a strong work ethic

To show you are ready to be promoted, you absolutely need to show that you have a strong work ethic. You must demonstrate that you have a good grasp of your current position. If your company is choosing a performance management system, a top-performing employee will always stand out, and the results will speak for themselves. 

4. Be professional

You must also dress smartly at all times and convey professionalism. You don’t need to spend lots of money on clothes, but you should always look well-groomed and make sure your dress fits the work culture of your office. 

5. Promote yourself

You could also be vocal about your out-of-work successes and talk about how you display leadership qualities in your daily life. And finally, you can develop your own professional development plan. You could even discuss this with your company to forge a clear path ahead. 

How To Ask For A Promotion

Before asking for a job promotion, make sure you have researched the new work position really well. Think about why you want this extra responsibility and why it would be good for the company. Think about how and why it aligns with your own career goals.

You can start with some informal dialogue with your work superiors. Start talking about how your progression at the company might look. Ask for open feedback on your work performance. Show that you are really committed to being the best employee you can be.

If you want to advocate for yourself, make sure that you list all of your work achievements. When it comes to talking about your career growth, this will give you a lot of talking points. You can talk about your positive impact on the company and any extra responsibilities you have taken on. 

Make sure you choose the right time to ask for a promotion. Perhaps after a great annual performance review or when the company is having a good financial quarter. And finally, be confident. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you really want.

How Not To Ask For A Promotion

The biggest mistake you could make is not asking for a promotion and just assuming that your efforts will be noticed. If you don’t speak up for yourself, it’s likely that people will just assume that you are happy in your current role.

Don’t assume that you will get promoted just because you get along with your boss. The decision for you to be promoted needs to be justified to the company as a whole. Don’t ask for a promotion if your company just had a lot of layoffs and their financial performance is tanking. Be sensitive to the internal affairs where you work. 

Never think that you are somehow entitled to a promotion. Make sure that you have a strong business case. And finally, don’t be too pushy or get angry if you don’t get what you want. Stay calm at work and find another way to express your frustration. 

In Summary 

If you want to advance in your career and receive a promotion, you must show you are ready. Think about the best ways to ask for a promotion and try to avoid some of the pitfalls outlined in this article. Career success is waiting for you. 

Recommended Resources:
 

Uncover your strengths and weaknesses with our complimentary assessment. Boost your effectiveness at work and with your team.

Free Resource Library
Access our extensive collection of valuable resources for instant support in your personal and professional growth.

Explore Our Course Library
Enhance your leadership skills with our diverse selection of courses. Take your abilities to the next level and become a more effective leader and team player.

Testimonials

Our Clients Love the Professional Leadership Institute

Your team will, too! Check out some reviews from our students.
The PLI program was invaluable to our network.
The range of topics delivered, the open dialogue, experience, and examples that PLI brought to each session were outstanding and provided a path for our Franchisees and Managers to look at leadership, coaching, and connecting with their teams in a new light. Many have implemented these strategies in their bakeries and have seen immediate results.
Michelle C.
COBS Bread
Highly recommend to help your team move forward
We have locations around BC and Alberta, so getting people on the same page can be very difficult... Until now. Our entire management team and location managers take the same great courses and then meet monthly online with our coach to apply it to our situation. People are engaged, the courses are excellent, we love our coach, and we are all learning together!
Jason Fawcett
President, Kelson Group
The result has been a transformation of our culture. 
We decided to implement PLI's strategies across the country in over 150 locations and over 3500 employees.  The result has been a transformation of our culture.  People's lives have been positively impacted - professionally and personally.  Morale is high and sales and profits are up as a result.
Daryl Verbeek
Daryl Verbeek
We’ve learned how to fix ongoing personnel issues once and for all
The roadmap laid out set our business up to quintuple in sales.  We've learned how to fix ongoing personnel issues once and for all, attract top talent, and spend our time focused on results, not internal staffing problems.  I highly recommend PLI to you - it's worked for us!
John DeJong
Satisfied Client
I had no idea that running a business could be this fun!
In less than 18 months of working with Trevor, he has transformed my business from being average to exceptional, where mediocrity is not acceptable, where being great is standard.  Working with PLI has allowed me to realize my dream of not simply owning a job, but owning a business.
Justin Bontkes
Principal, Caliber Projects
Our culture has taken major steps forward this year
Our culture has taken major steps forward this year with Trevor’s help.  He is funny, relatable, and his tools are very very practical and have helped us focus and upgrade our teams throughout our retail network. Trevor recently spoke to an employee group, and one person remarked, “I could listen to Trevor all day.”   We would highly recommend Trevor.
Stan Pridham
Founder, KMS Tools
The results have been remarkable
At first, we resisted, “This just won’t work with a law firm.” But we persisted and the results have been remarkable: our client base and profits have steadily improved, and staff engagement and morale is the healthiest its ever been.
Doug Lester
Partner, RDM Lawyers
Helped our fast-growing business become what it is today
I've experienced PLI's approach first hand and it's been crucial to sustaining our growth.  I can't imagine a business that wouldn't benefit greatly from his help.
Brian Antenbring
Founder, TEEMA
Provided practical ways to make positive changes
Trevor was incredibly well-received by the entire organization. He was able to articulate people issues that many of our franchisees were experiencing and provided them with practical ways to make positive changes. We have implemented the Star Chart tool across the organization and see it as vital to building happy, effective teams.
Aaron Gillespie
President, COBS Bread
Scroll to Top

Start Learning Today

For Individuals

Unlock your potential and accelerate your career with sought-after management and leadership skills.

 

Transform Your Organization

For Teams

Book a consultation to discuss your challenges and discover how we can help you build a winning team.

 

Sign Up For Weekly Tips!

Get Weekly Coaching Tips Straight To Your Inbox Every Monday.