Career Advancement: Strategies to Get a Promotion

The basic building block of career advancement is a promotion. In order to get ahead, you have to climb climbing a succession of steps upward on the corporate ladder. (There are a few occasions where you might want to turn down a promotion, as we recently discussed, but in most cases a promotion is a desirable thing.)

But promotions aren’t a guaranteed thing, and they can be even more scarce during a bad economy. So you need to make sure you are doing everything in your power to increase your odds of scoring that coveted promotion.

First, of course, you need to let people know that you are indeed interested in a promotion. Some people aren’t, due to family obligations, schedule constraints or other factors—so don’t assume your bosses know that you’re eager to move up.

This article shares a few other tips for landing a promotion. The first and most obvious: do a really good job at your current position. Don’t view this position as beneath you just because you are eyeing up something better. If you slack off in the job you have now, your bosses won’t feel confident about giving you a position with even more demands.

Another tip: get on the good side of people who can help you advance. Obviously, this means your supervisors but could also include other influential people at the office.

How do you boost your odds for a promotion? Share tips in the comments.

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