Want a Promotion?

If you want a promotion, then you need to go out and get it. That handshake may be closer to reality than you think.

While many people are perfectly complacent with their career and have no desire for further advancement, greater pay or more respect, that probably isn’t you. By taking the time to check out this article, it shows that you have a desire to take your career to the next level, and this could mean a promotion.

Know what you want

You need to know what you want in order to get it – this applies to anything, including your career. If you know you want more money, know how much you are hoping to get. If you want an actual promotion, know what role you have in mind – even if it’s a long-term goal that would take several steps to achieve.

Once you know what you want, work towards it. This might just mean that you have your goal in mind when you are at work. Work and live with intention, and do everything you do to help demonstrate to your employer that you are worthy of what you are asking for.

Be realistic

Don’t ask for or expect anything that can’t happen. If your computer literacy ends with your web browser, don’t decide that you are going to try to be the next IT manager. If your endgame however, is to be the IT manager, it doesn’t hurt to tell your supervisor that you have your eyes on a promotion and that your long-term goal is to become the IT manager. Be ready to  tell them then about the night classes that you are planning to take to exponentially increase your computer skills.

If you are gunning for a raise, aim high, but don’t shoot for the moon. If your company has a set structure for pay increases, you probably can’t achieve an amount outside of those parameters. It might not hurt to ask, just don’t hold your breathe. Otherwise, ask for a raise that is in line with what others in your role with your experience and seniority make but just a tad more. If you don’t know what your peers earn, do a little research such as asking friendly questions or researching the industry as a whole.

Ask for it

If you want a promotion, even if it is just a raise, ask for it. Even if you are an excellent employee and a great worker, your boss might not know that you have designs on a greater role. If you don’t ask for it, they might not offer it to you because they may not think you want it.

Take a moment to pull your employer aside and tell him or her what you want. Be explicitly clear. If you would like to be considered for a management position then next time one is available, say so. If you are after a raise, say precisely that.

Wait for your boss to react before you say anything else. Their response will probably reflect that they had no idea you wanted what you just asked for and may be in the form of a question. Since you already know what you want, answering their questions and outlining your goals should be a breeze. 

Conclusion

The raise or promotion you have been wanting might be at your fingertips. You could reach out and grab what you want, but first you have to know what you want. Once you are realistic about your goal, you just have to ask for it. A little initiative goes a long way when you are trying to advance in your career, particularly because initiative is a highly coveted trait in a good employee. Sometimes your ambition, drive and desire for more is enough to impress your boss and let him or her see that you have the potential to do and be more.

Don’t be afraid to ask for what you truly want, whether it be in your career or elsewhere in your life. As you have probably heard before, it doesn’t hurt to ask.