There comes a time in every employee’s life where they feel that they need to take their next career step, or as it’s called professionally: ask for a promotion. Reasons behind asking for a promotion differ from an employee to another. Whether it is an ambition for moving up the career ladder, seeking a better income, looking for a new opportunity, being dissatisfied with where you are currently, or just finding your current position not challenging enough, it’s absolutely your right to ask for a promotion.
When you think about promotions, two major questions should pop up in your mind: How do I know it’s time for a promotion? And, how can I ask for a promotion? To help you figure this situation out, here are a few points presented by Bayt.com’s career experts.
How to know it’s time for a promotion?
You might feel a bit skeptical about whether or not you deserve a promotion at a certain point in your career. You might find yourself asking some questions such as: “Why should I get a promotion while X person doesn’t?” Or even “Am I really doing something that deserves getting a promotion for?” Don’t worry, here are some of the signs that indicate that you are due for a promotion:
1- You’re walking an extra mile
Having a job means that you have a defined set of tasks and responsibilities that make up your daily routine. Now, most employees stick to these tasks and perform them from start to finish. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing that, if you’re looking for a promotion within your company, you have to do a little bit more. You should show your full potential, take on more responsibilities, or – even better – start your own initiatives and projects.
If you already find yourself in a situation where you perform more than what’s asked of you, walking an extra mile to juggle different tasks, and performing outside your limited job description, then it’s a good sign to ask for a promotion.
2- You’ve managed to master your job with passion
Many employees think of their tasks and duties as a checklist: a bunch of items to quickly get over with. As a result, they often skip performing their job with passion and truly showcasing their full potential. Aside from mastering your job and being comfortable with everything you deal with, a real passion for the job means that you put your 100% capacity into it. Think of your job as a challenge you should excel in everyday and do it with love and nothing else.
If you feel like you’ve been working with passion and have grown to perfect your various responsibilities, then you’re most likely ready for a promotion.
3- Your work is already at the next level
As we established earlier, having a set of tasks and duties doesn’t mean you should make them your limit. You might not be asked to help out others in performing their overdue tasks, volunteer to take that heavy responsibility everyone else is avoiding, or even find a solution for an obvious problem everyone faces. However, if you ever find yourself that superhero who have truly grown their job and their tasks to extend beyond their current job title, then that’s a very good indicator that you are ready to move up the career ladder.
4- You’re always looking forward to the next challenge
Some of us settle for whatever daily tasks they are faced with, some don’t even like challenges at all and cherish their comfort zone, while others are constantly on the hunt for their next challenge.
If you belong to the latter group, then you know how uninspiring it is to stick to your comfort zone and perform the exact same duties for years. Are you always looking five steps ahead and can’t wait to take on the next big thing? Then that on its own might be why you deserve that promotion.
How to ask for a promotion?
Okay, so since you’ve reached this point in the article, then you probably already know it’s time to get yourself a promotion. But the question now is how to ask for one. We know it might be a rather stressful step to make, but remember that if you don’t put the effort needed, you will never get the desired outcome. So, here are the steps that you can follow to help you ask for a promotion in a professional and, hopefully, successful way.
1- Pick the right time
You know your company more than anybody else. In case your company is facing a difficult financial situation, struggling to survive the harsh market, or even not making any profit, then you know that this might be a wrong time to bring up your promotion request. In order to guarantee that you land what you want, we advise you to wait for a good moment. Don’t rush things, and most importantly, don’t worry; you’ll get what you deserve. It’s just a matter of having some patience, which we know you have.
2- Plan your requirements
Once you decide on the suitable time to take your next step and ask for a promotion, you’ll need to develop a plan. Think ahead of time of the needs and requirements that you’re aiming for when asking for a promotion. What is it that you want exactly? Is it a title change? A raise? Moving to a more senior level? Managing a team? Or changing the department altogether? You should have all the answers ready before you go ahead and make that move.
When you plan these requirements, you should also make room for negotiation. It is very rare that you’ll get exactly what you ask for. So, be ready to give and take.
3- Talk to your manager directly
In most companies, your direct manager is the decision maker when it comes to promotion and salary matters. Going around and talking to other employees and managers who have no direct connection to getting you a promotion is no good. Actually, this might harm your chances more than anything else. The only person you have to talk to in this case is your direct manager. Ask for a meeting to talk through this matter and specify that you’d like to discuss your career direction so that your manager knows what to expect.
4- Follow up
After you’re done with the meeting, make sure to write down all the points you agreed on. Whether you got the promotion right away, or were promised that you’ll get one very soon, send out an email mentioning all the minutes of your meeting to your manager. You might want to ask them if you should loop in the HR Manager or not. In case there were some HR procedures you’ll have to go through, or some extra responsibilities you have to undertake. Don’t just leave it up in the air, document everything and follow up as needed.
We hope you find these pointers helpful. Let us know in the comments below if you are planning to ask for a promotion. And remember, if you aren’t able to move up the career ladder at your current company, you can always visit Bayt.com for 10,000+ jobs that are available daily.
