Reader: How can I position myself now, for a promotion in 18 to 24 months?
Lisa Quast: First of all, congratulations on thinking ahead and allowing yourself enough time to create a game plan to get you from where you are today, to where you’d like to be in the future!
Obtaining a promotion isn’t always easy, but if you’re willing to do some analysis, conduct some research and create a career development plan – then you’ll make getting that much-coveted promotion a lot easier. Here are the seven steps you’ll need to go through:
Step 1: Analyze your current performance. Doing so-so work won’t get you promoted. You’ll need to do outstanding work that will get you noticed by management. First, take a look at the results you’re achieving in your current job and make sure you’re meeting or exceeding all of your manager’s performance expectations. Then, look for ways you can go above and beyond the daily requirements to demonstrate how you add value to the organization.
Step 2: Seek to understand your manager’s goals. Find out what keeps your boss up at night. In other words, seek to understand your manager’s key objectives and priorities. Then, determine ways you can help him or her achieve these department goals.
Step 3: Conduct research. Find the job description of the job you want (your promotion). If the job isn’t currently posted, you can ask your HR representative for the existing job description or even look online to find job postings of that job or similar jobs at other companies.
Step 4: Evaluate the job requirements. Look through the job description and postings at the job requirements that are listed (for the promotion you want). Conduct a gap analysis by going through each requirement and comparing it to your own skills, knowledge, experience, education and certifications. Figure out all the gaps – the areas where you don’t meet the minimum requirements – and write them down.
Step 5: Create your career development plan. For every gap you identified, determine your plan of action on how you’ll overcome it. For example, if you don’t meet the minimum education requirement, could you go back to school in the evenings to finish your college degree? If you don’t have enough years of people management experience, could you volunteer to lead project teams to gain more experience and prove your leadership skills?
Step 6: Obtain feedback. Seek out others who are successful in the job you want and ask them to a coffee chat. Let the person know you’re interested in a similar job in the future and would like their feedback. Walk them through where you are today, the job you want, your gap analysis and your career development plan. Then obtain their advice. Does your plan include everything they think you’ll need to be successful in a job like theirs? Are there any other attributes they feel were necessary for them to be successful in their job?
Step 7: Meet with your boss. After you’ve completed the previous steps, schedule time to meet with your manager to discuss your career aspirations. Share your career development plan and ask for feedback on any other actions you can take to better position yourself for that future promotion. Ask for his or her support in your quest to continue learning and developing in your career.
As you work through these seven steps and then implement your career development plan, read my blog on the 20 Things That Could Be Ruining Your Promotion Opportunities – and be sure you aren’t exhibiting any of these behaviors.
Lisa Quast, author of the book, Secrets of a Hiring Manager Turned Career Coach: A Foolproof Guide to Getting the Job You Want. Every Time. Join me on Twitter @careerwomaninc
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