Time and time again I hear the following from students in my
career advancement workshops:
“My work speaks for itself…I shouldn’t have to tell anyone
about my skills.”
“Why did they hire from the outside, I am already doing
what’s required of that position?”
“Why did they get the job, I have more skills and experience
than they do?”
“How come my name is never mentioned when promotions
come up in conversation?”
The answer is…you need to promote your skills and
experience. Everybody quotes the old saying, “It not what
you know, but who you know.” That’s not quite right. The
correct saying should be, “It not what you know but who
knows what you know.” The people that can make decisions
or have input on your career need to know what you know.
This will only happen if you promote, promote, promote your
special skills and experience.
Here are five secrets you can use to promote yourself for
promotions:
1. Volunteer to Make a Difference
Volunteer for assignments that expose your skills. Look for
especially challenging projects that other people have
declined.
Also volunteer to mentor others within your organization.
This will show and develop your leadership, management,
and interpersonal skills. Keep management posted on your
challenges and how you are working with the person you are
mentoring to overcome these challenges.
Volunteer to write a department or organizational newsletter.
This is another way to benefit a large group with your ideas
while showcasing your skills and ideas.
2. Be a Solution Creator not a Problem Maker
Anybody can find problems within organizations. My
experience is that you don’t need to find them…they will find
you. Sometimes they have a special skill of finding problems
and reporting them.
Develop the skill of looking at these problems as
“opportunities for advancement,” step back and analyze the
opportunity, and develop ideas for overcoming the problem.
Make sure you communicate these solutions during
meetings, e-mails, memos, and conversations with
management. You will soon be looked upon by management
as someone who can overcome obstacles and make things
happen within the organization.
3. Handle the Next Level at This Level
If you are a manager and want to become a vice president
then, start working like a vice president. Find a vice
president that is open to mentoring you for the next level.
Remember, that vice president will not be promoted to the
next level unless the organization sees that the vice
president has developed someone to take their spot. It might
as well be you. Plus you can lighten their work load.
Explain to the vice president what you want to accomplish so
that everyone has a clear understanding and that this is a
win-win situation for all involved.
I hear, “I’m too busy already to do this.” Well, let me ask
you, “How badly do you want the promotion?” We are all
busy. It’s up to you to enhance your time management and
delegation skills so that you can take on these tasks that will
prepare you for the next level.
4. Announce That You Want It!
Many times employees miss out on promotions because the
decision makers and career influencers do not know they are
interested in being promoted.
Announce that you want to go to the next career level!
Take time to sit down with your supervisor, manager,
director, etc. and let them know you are interested in going
to the next level. Ask them for their honest assessment of
your skills. Then ask what you need to do to be ready when
the next career opportunity appears.
Also announce your career aspirations to influencers in the
Human Resources Department. Remember the more people
they can hire from the outside, the less work they need to do.
Make it easy for them to hire you.
Announce it to any one who can influence the decision for
your promotion.
5. Join Groups to Accelerate Promotions
Join committees within the organization. This shows
management that you care enough to make a difference.
Also join professional groups and associations.
Professional groups and associations are a perfect way to let
influencers outside your organization about your skills.
Don’t just join, participant in the association’s activities to
show your creativity, teamwork, and other skills.
One of the most important groups that you could ever
join…is Toastmasters. This is a worldwide organization with
over 175,000 members dedicated to helping it’s improve their
public speaking, evaluation, think-on-your-feet, and
leadership skills. The main reasons you should join
Toastmaster is the following:
* Toastmasters give you the confidence to approach any
opportunity with confidence.
* Toastmaster gives you the speaking skills to stand up in
front of group and present your point in a persuasive manner
while others shy away from this opportunity.
* You develop your leadership skills by learning how to do
effective, positive, and encouraging feedback and
evaluations while learning how to empower the receiver to
do better.
* You have the opportunity to develop your leadership skills
by volunteering for positions at the club, area, state,
regional, and international level. I always say if you can’t
get the skills at your organization, you can get it at
Toastmasters.
Join and let your organization know you’ve joined these
groups. I remember a student telling me he wanted the job of
Network Administrator in a large organization. He never
seemed to get past the first interviews. Then he joined
Toastmasters. He shared with me he gained the confidence
and think-on-your-feet skills needed to master his interviews.
Shortly after joining Toastmasters, he landed his dream job
as Network Administrator at a major hospital. It can make
the difference for you.
I challenge you to apply these techniques. You will see
immediate results and go to the next level.
About the AuthorEd Sykes is a professional speaker, author, and leading
expert in the areas of leadership, motivation, stress
management, customer service, and team building. You can
e-mail him at mailto:esykes@thesykesgrp.com">esykes@thesykesgrp.com, or call him at
(757) 427-7032. Go to his web site,
http://www.thesykesgrp.com" target=_blank>http://www.thesykesgrp.com, and signup for the newsletter,
OnPoint, and receive the free ebook, "Empowerment and
Stress Secrets for the Busy Professional." |
