Score Your Dream Promotion in 5 Easy Steps

 
Are you ready to promote to the next level in your career? Getting selected for that dream position in the C-Suite would completely make your day, wouldn’t it?
 
How can you position yourself to be chosen to fill that coveted role? I bet you don't realize you likely already have what it takes to get ahead.  Here are 5 quick action steps you can take to get noticed and grab that bigger promotion!
 

To leap over the competition, consider making these 5 steps your new priorities:
 
1.  Excel at  your current job. In any organization, employers will look at your current skills to determine if you're ready to move up.  If you have what it takes now, you'll probably have what it takes in the new position. So, your game plan is simply:

• Perform your current tasks to the best of your ability.
• Stand out among your peers who are on the same level as you.
• Show versatility and drive by performing an unassigned task from time to time.​

2.   Achieve recognition. Doing well at your current job is great, but being recognized is how you'll really stand out. That's not to say that your aim is always to be recognized, but it's certainly not going to hurt leading up to the organizations decision about a promotion!  Join a volunteer effort in the agency or take on leadership roles that get you noticed.  We discuss more strategies in-depth in my Coaching Advancement System to help position you for the spotlight.  Often, women shy away from getting noticed.  They hang in the background or play support roles.  But, to play a bigger game, you've got to get the confidence to stand out.  (That's a Tweetable, btw.)

3.  Work Smarter AND Harder.  If you're going for a promotion, you'll receive increased responsibilities. What that means is you'll have to be able to achieve more in the same amount of time. That's where efficiency comes in, and if you display it now in your current job, that's a huge plus.  Start thinking about how you can accomplish the same work tasks with the same quality, but more efficiently. Time management and productivity skills are necessary to master and wield unapologetically.  

4. Support the agency's mission statement. By aligning your work closely with the mission and values of your agency, you begin to show senior management you have the maturity and integrity to lead others. It's time to start thinking like a leader, and not a follower. Do you know your agency's core mission, goals, and objectives?  Can you determine how you fit into the picture?  These are critical things to nail down as you move ahead. 

5.  Learn the job starting now. While the agency assesses potential candidates for promotions and succession plans, the time is now to learn more about the job you're aiming for.  Do your homework.  Learn what it's like to be at that level.  Begin to network with others in the department or in a similar capacity.  Take the initiative and invite one of them to coffee or lunch and begin developing relationships.  

Only you can secure the dream career you want and deserve. The decision you make to stand up and be counted is yours and yours alone. Embrace your power and go for it; your dream promotion awaits!  I can teach you to make it happen.  To learn more about Envision Career Success' Coaching systems and resources, schedule your Dream Career Breakthrough call today.

Andrala Walker is the Chief Career Whisperer at Envision Career Success.  She's a Certified Professional Coach, Global Career Development Facilitator, and member of the International Coach Federation.  Walker teaches women in the nonprofit and public sectors how to build meaningful careers and play bigger in their lives. www.envisioncareersuccess.com 

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