Archive for the ‘How to get Promoted’ Category

Let’s face it many people start out with great hopes and aspirations when it comes to their career. A few reach the very top, others make some progress and some get stuck.

So what can you do to increase your promotion prospects and achieve the career success you desire?

Determine Your Strengths and Development Needs

Before you can ever start to make any progress you need to know where you are starting from.  We might all have great intentions but let’s face it with a busy work schedule it is tough to sit down and reflect. And the reality is that until you do you are going to find it difficult to play to your strengths.

Learn What Jobs At A More Senior Level Require

Imagine you were playing golf in the fog. It would be kind of difficult to know where the hole was and in what direction to aim your shot. Knowing where you are aiming for and what you need to do to achieve success is just as important in your career. Starting finding out what really matters at the next level and level after that so you can start building for that role.

Learn How To Lead and Manage

In just about every profession the only way to progress is to take on more responsibility. Usually this includes responsibility for managing and leading people. If you don’t acquire these skills you are at a huge disadvantage and are going to find it tough to progress.

Aim For The Right Target

The more senior you become the more important it is to become strategic when it comes to seeking out opportunities. While it might be nice to work in a particular sector unless you can show you have some exposure or understanding it is going to be difficult to get the results you want.

Demonstrate Commercial Skills

Professional people are in what is often seen as a support role. With more and more advances in technology the role is changing. Take accountancy as an example. Rather than being just about running processes, increasingly it is about partnering with non financial managers to find new and innovative ways of working or achieving more success for the organisation.

Get Comfortable Stepping Out Of Your Comfort Zone

It’s tempting for all of us to stay doing what we are already good at. Remember though when it comes to promoting people, employers are looking for potential too. It can be tough stepping out of your comfort zone but unless you do there is always a cap on how far you can progress.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps professional people to achieve more career success and get the rewards and recognition they desire. He invites you to sign up for his free masterclass on climbing the career ladder at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/careers-main.html

A recent survey that I invited those on my mailing list to take identified that getting promoted was a key area of importance. So if you are in this group, what can you do to get promoted to the next level?

1. Find out what it takes to succeed at the next level.
2. Make a long list of all of your achievements to date in terms of your career.
3. Target your applications to roles that you have the greatest chance of getting.
4. Give your CV a makeover so that it really sells your achievements.
5. Get your interview skills honed so that you perform exceptionally well.
6. Get the support you need to get the result you want. A small investment now might just make a huge difference to the long term return that you get.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to achieve success and realize their professional potential through being highly effective leaders and managers. For more information and to sign up for his free audio e-course click here

If you are a manager, aspiring manager, leader or aspiring leader, I am guessing that you are always on the lookout for your next career progression opportunity.

On the other hand, you might find that you are not getting promoted to the next level even though you think you are ready.

So what might be stopping you?

You are applying for the wrong roles
• It is tempting when you are ready to progress to the next level to apply randomly for posts. A much better strategy is to be highly targeted with your applications.

You are not showing the relevance of your experience to the job

• Employers are seeking evidence as to how your experience fits the role. Try to use examples to illustrate this.

You are not highlighting achievements

• Too often I see CVs that talk a lot about the job and very little about achievements. Focus on highlighting your achievements.

You don’t sell yourself

• Most of us don’t like to blow our own trumpet, especially us folks in the UK. At the same time, if you don’t sell what you have to offer, how can you ever expect to land the job?

You don’t prepare enough

• Having interviewed hundreds of people over the years, what surprised me most was that people are so ill prepared. If you are not willing to invest a sizeable block of time in preparing for your next role, it may be that you just don’t want it enough.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to achieve success and realize their professional potential through being highly effective leaders and managers. For more information and to sign up for his free audio e-course click here

If you are reading this post, I am guessing that progressing your career might be important to you. So what barriers might be stopping you from moving to the next level?

1. You are great at working alone on activities but struggle at managing.
2. You have not kept your skills up to date.
3. You don’t believe in yourself and what you have to offer.
4. You are more afraid of failing than trying to succeed.
5. You are not clear about what you want from your next role.
6. You don’t sell yourself effectively in your resume or CV.
7. You struggle to sell yourself at interviews.
8. You understate your achievements.
9. You won’t ask for help to get to the next level.
10. You are not willing to invest in acquiring the skills, training or mentoring to make it to the next level.

Truth is every step in your career brings with it new challenges. So what do you need to focus on to get to the next level?

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to achieve success and realize their professional potential through being highly effective leaders and managers. For more information and to sign up for his free audio e-course click here