Get Yourself Promoted: 10 Tips for Building Your Own Career Ladder

The days of the management trainee program are long gone.  Finding the on ramp to the fast track is a far more individualized affair than it used to be.  But rather than wait for a personal escort, there are things you can do to position yourself for advancement. Find Mentors (Yes you can have more than one!) – Mentors provide you with knowledgeable sounding boards for your ideas and can help you to avoid missteps. No matter how smart and talented you are, there is no substitute for experience. Why not learn from the experience of others?  The best way to find a mentor is simply to ask someone you respect for advice. Most people will be honored by the request. Cultivate a professional development (PD) network – If you want professional advice, ask a professional.  In an ideal world, your boss will make sure that you have the types of assignments and exposure that will enhance your resume. In case you aren’t that lucky, seek out relationships with senior leaders from other departments within your organization or outside of your organization who can give you a variety of perspectives on how to improve your skills. Respect your (PD) network relationships - Nothing will make a person avoid your calls more than if you only call when you want something.  Make sure that you keep in regular contact (two to three times a year) with your mentors even if it’s only to say hello and give them an update on how you’re doing.  Asking about their interests is also helpful not to mention polite so long as it’s sincere. Cultivate the “relationship” part of the networking relationship, and the networking will take care of itself. Know where you are on your career map – If you want to be a CEO, at some point you have to get out of the mailroom.  If you’re on the fast track you should be receiving additional responsibilities every 12 to 18 months if not sooner. It’s a sign that the decision makers in your organization consider you someone that the company can depend on.  If you work for a small company annual promotions may not be realistic so don’t worry about the title initially.  Make sure you perform assigned tasks well and you will get noticed. Hitch your wagon to a star – You are more likely to get promoted if you work for someone who is regularly being promoted.  Stars bring attention to everyone around them.  If you work in a stagnant department or for a boss with a mediocre reputation, your excellent performance may not be noticed if no one ever looks in your department’s direction.  That brings us to my next point. Up is nice but sometimes sideways is best – Don’t rule out lateral career moves. If you’re offered the opportunity to work for an up and coming executive or to move to a high performance team but without a title or salary increase – take it!  Why? – (See the previous tip) Barbeque or mildew – If you aren’t heating up your professional growth then you’re probably growing mold.  Stay current on industry topics by reading relevant articles and newsletters.  Attend conferences and don’t be afraid to volunteer for assignments on multi-departmental teams. All of these activities add to your skill set and allow you to make more valuable contributions. Shoot for the Short list – Decision makers usually have someone in mind for the next promotion before it becomes available.  Organizations typically prefer to promote from within because it’s faster and far less expensive than recruiting externally. When that doesn’t happen it’s usually because they don’t believe they have the talent in-house. By cultivating a professional network inside and outside of your organization, keeping your skills current, positioning yourself in the areas of the company where the action is and of course, doing your best work no matter what the assignment is, you’re letting your organization know that they have a talent in you! Mind your P’s and Q’s – Etiquette still matters. Everyone can make a positive impression. Make yourself memorable by being dependable. Always do what you say you’re going to do. Make sure your day doesn’t end before returning phone messages, answering your emails and attending to anything that requires your signature.  No matter how high you move up in the organization, you should still be able to stay true to these rules by delegating effectively.  In the process you build a memorable reputation for being responsive. For Love or Money – As the saying goes, “Find a job that you love and you’ll never work another day in your life.” People who enjoy their work will always outperform the people who don’t in the long run. Joy provides an almost inexhaustible source of energy that cannot be matched by a paycheck no matter how big it is. So make sure that you love what you do at least some of the time. Choose a job you enjoy and the money and title will come.  Choose a job for the money and title, and they will never be enough.