Did you know that 23% of employees feel they’re overlooked for a promotion? There was a time when hard work and professional conduct were good enough to get engineers promoted. Today, they’ve become the norm. Keeping your head down and slogging hard won’t cut it any more. Engineers need to apply specific tactics to increase their chances of getting a job promotion.
1. Analyze your current situation
A higher position will mean more responsibilities and require new skills. Analyze what you’ll be expected to do in your new role. Identify the tasks that require additional experience or skills, and come up with an achievable development plan.
For example, if you’re a software engineer, find out which aspects of your current work involve managing team members, and how you can position yourself as a potential team lead. If you lack technical skills then leverage in-house training programs, seminars and workshops.
2. Shine in your current role
The best way to show that you’re ready for a job promotion, is to excel at what you currently do. Look at your daily tasks and responsibilities. Improve existing processes by making them more efficient and cost-effective, through automation or optimized workflows.
Look for opportunities to demonstrate that you can handle more responsibilities. Volunteer for new initiatives in your office, fill in for someone in your target position when they’re out of office. Reach out to your boss and offer to take on more work.
Make sure that you go above and beyond your job description.
3. Quantify your success
Showing results is a great way to get promoted. Ensure that you can clearly demonstrate how your work has directly benefited your company. Keep a record of all your work and the tangible results they’ve produced for your company.
Proactively communicate these results with your boss and colleagues. For example, your latest engineering project may have reduced server costs by 12%. Share it with your team and present it as a case study at company events so everyone knows what you’ve been up to.
4. Demonstrate leadership skills
Although entry-level engineering roles are technically oriented, as you progress in your career, you’ll realize that middle- & senior-level roles require a fair amount leadership and people management skills.
Bring in new ideas and concepts, offer to take charge and implement them. Facilitate meetings, participate in recruitment drives, and help resolve conflicts among team members. Show your employer that you’re capable of tackling bigger tasks and manage people well.
5. Build your network
Networking gives you the chance to learn more about your company and its various opportunities. What cool projects are people working on? Which teams are looking for people like you? Who’s leaving your company, that you can replace?
Participate in company outings and retreats where you can interact with people from top management, as well as employees from other departments. Offer valuable insights to conversations and ensure that these people learn about your skills and ambitions.
6. Seek feedback
Get feedback from your bosses and colleagues about your performance. Find out if you meet their expectations and what areas you can improve upon.
Set up monthly review meetings with your boss, where you can discuss your overall progress, set objectives for the next month and lay out steps to achieve them. Make sure to bring up the challenges you’re facing and don’t hesitate to ask for help.
7. Become indispensable
Put yourself in a position where your company can’t afford to lose you. Here are a couple of ways to do it:
- Look for new areas and technologies(such as AI) that’s becoming popular. Come up with ideas, proposals and presentations about how it can benefit your company, and share it with your team. Become a go-to resource about that topic so that people spread the word about you, without you having to brag.
- Pick an existing field of work that interests you (such as product management) and stick with it. As you gain more experience, you’ll be seen as an expert in that field.
The key is to be a first-mover in a new area or technology, or become an expert in an existing field of work.
Use these 7 tips to identify growth opportunities and position yourself as a suitable candidate for a job promotion. They’ll take your career to the next level.
About Sreeram Sreenivasan:
Sreeram Sreenivasan has helped various Fortune 500 Companies in areas of Business Growth & Marketing Strategy. He’s the Founder of Ubiq BI, a BI Platform for SMBs & Enterprises. He also writes for Studyclerk that covers a wide range of topics.
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