(ThyBlackMan.com) It’s something that we have worked so hard for, but it can be incredibly infuriating when you are passed over for a promotion, especially when you feel you have been at the company for long enough you think you are entitled to some form of recognition for all your hard work. However, when people get passed over for a promotion, there are common errors that people make time and time again. So here are a few and what you can do about it to reset the balance.
Have You Done Anything Significant Lately?
A lot of people feel that they have got what it takes to move up the ladder, but they haven’t been able to demonstrate it. In other words,
they haven’t done the work that is required to increase their potential or to apply their talents in new and exciting ways which benefit the business. Being deserving of promotion doesn’t just mean doing what’s expected of you, so once you have done your current role to perfection only then can you rise above it.
Have You Built The Right Support Around You?
It’s not just about what you can do to work your way up the ladder, but it’s the support network around you that will help you to progress to the next level. People like sponsors, mentors or ambassadors can be found around you, from your colleagues to senior management. Support doesn’t have to just be in a moral sense, do you have the right pieces of paper, such as qualifications to ensure you get, at least, an interview? A lot of people would throw your CV in the bin if it didn’t meet the minimum requirements, so are you sure you have everything?
While you may have fantastic technical skills in your role, you might benefit from additional education in engineering or a similar subject. Such is the way of the world now, you can complete courses remotely without needing to go to classes. You can complete an engineering masters degree online now which you can fit around your existing life commitments, meaning that you can still dedicate yourself to the job you’re doing while getting the credentials in your spare time.
Have You Been Networking Outside Of Your Company?
If you’ve been in a job for over five years without connecting with anybody outside of your organization, this can have a detrimental effect on your career because you are disconnecting yourself from your industry and field. If, hypothetically, you were to be made redundant, would you know how to start again within the industry? Or would you feel so isolated that you wouldn’t know where to begin?
As a general rule, every professional should have an interview roughly every four to six months outside of their current organization, even if they are perfectly happy in their job! It gives you the options to see what is going on in your industry, but it’s also interesting to pursue promising leads and to learn about the current goings on within the industry from technological advances to marketing trends. It always pays to keep your ear to the ground, and you may even get a better career as a result!
Staff Writer; Charlie Burton