Here's how to get promoted at work

You can’t just pop into your boss’s office, declare yourself ready for a higher-level role, and expect to hear, “You’re right, dammit! Promotion approved!”

Obvious, maybe, but if you want to grow up and out of your current role, take on more responsibility, snag a better title, and take home higher pay, and a sudden and grand declaration won’t cut it, how do you get promoted at work?

“It would be so nice if we could just have a step-by-step plan, and if we followed it, go, ‘Voilà!’ and get to where we want,” says Freda Marver, an executive and career coach at Begin Again Coaching in Minneapolis. The truth is getting the job promotion or leadership role of your dreams is rarely that simple in practice.

But (yes, there’s a but!) there are absolutely steps you can take and strategies you can use to actively work toward a promotion.

9 tips to set yourself up for a promotion

Here are a few approaches and strategies you can mix and match:

1. Nail your current job.

“Before you can make the case that you’re ready for more responsibility, it’s important to make sure that your i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed,” says career strategist Adunola Adeshola. “The last thing you want is for your boss to tell you, ‘Well, you still need to improve this before I can consider promoting you.’” So prior to laying out a strategy to move up, you need to assess your performance in your current role to make sure you’re nailing it.

“Consider the informal and formal feedback you’ve received from your colleagues and focus on the recurring themes,” Adeshola recommends. “Have you been hearing from different people that you need to be more detail-oriented? Have you heard in passing that you should take more initiative? If so, it may be time to work on that until it’s something that you’ve not only improved but also can now do consistently.”

She adds, “The goal obviously isn’t to be perfect, because no one is perfect. But you definitely do not want to have glaring flaws standing in the way of your promotion.”

2. Take on stretch and skill-building projects.

Career growth means constantly building your skill set and improving your productivity and performance. If you’re part of a larger organization, look for committees, projects, or task forces you can get involved with to build experience, knowledge, and skills. If you’re part of a smaller organization, look for ways to take on new responsibilities and have influence. Making yourself promotable requires proving that you’re ready for the job, even if it’s a stretch.

3. See the big picture.

If you’re trying to think like a boss, you need to have a good understanding of the bigger forces at play in the company. Stay up-to-date on industry news, relevant analyst reports, and your own company’s news releases or internal reporting on business conditions, top-line goals, and strategies.

Take ownership of your work as if you own the company, says Andy Chan, founder of Seattle-based career coaching center Prime Opt. You should be able to draw clear lines between your job responsibilities and the company’s bigger picture and goals, and prioritize the projects that have the biggest impact. If the connections aren’t clear—or you think there are ways you could be better supporting the organization’s success—bring potential solutions as well as questions to your manager.

When you take full responsibility and apply strategic thinking to your work, you’re immediately supporting your supervisor and team in new and more valuable ways.

4. Bring new ideas to the table.

Just doing what you’re told will make you a good worker, but higher-ups expect more from their leaders. They want leaders who bring new ideas and valuable input to the table to improve the company. Your ideas should fall into one of these three categories:

How to help your company make more money
How to save money and cut expenses/costs
How to make the company more productive and efficient

5. Share your accomplishments.

Don’t be afraid to speak about your accomplishments and expertise. When you present facts like “I made x happen,” “I made x sales this year,” or “I solved x problem,” you don’t come off as bragging but rather, as someone who’s accomplished a lot and deserves to be given consideration for a promotion.

“You can work 60 hours a week and keep your head down, but people aren’t really going to notice the highlights unless they’re highlighted,” says Karen Elizaga, an executive coach and author of Find Your Sweet Spot. Let your boss know what you’ve done and how you solved any problems in interesting ways.

But it’s not just about your own accomplishments. Sharing the accomplishments of people working with you shows how you manage processes, build positive relationships, and bring great performances out of others—precisely the kind of leadership skills bigger positions will require. So seize the opportunity to praise other people frequently.

You can also find sponsors who will sing your praises to others, says Kim Powell, principal with Chicago-based leadership and change management consulting firm ghSMART and co-author of The CEO Next Door: The 4 Behaviors That Transform Ordinary People Into World Class Leaders. And try to work on projects with people who are generous about sharing credit. If a colleague or client praises you, ask if they can share with your boss as well.

6. Show you can take feedback, too.

Acting on feedback shows you’re a team player who’s committed to improving the organization. So seek out and absorb constructive criticism—not just during performance reviews—reflect on it, and assimilate it. “The trick is to try to take the feedback, even negative feedback, and grow and learn,” says career expert Vicky Oliver, author of Bad Bosses, Crazy Coworkers & Other Office Idiots.

If a decision-maker gives you a specific suggestion for improving your performance, thank that person and do it. “It shows your determination, shows your commitment, and it shows your ability to be nimble–like any good manager needs to be,” Elizaga says.

7. Make your boss’ job easier.

Think ahead and anticipate needs, large and small, says career coach Donna Schilder. Are there busy seasons coming up? How can you help your manager get ahead of the rush? As you think about how your company can be well-prepared, you may also increase your opportunities to take on more responsibility in preparation for a promotion or a new job.

Remember that your boss is also trying to appease and anticipate the needs of their own manager, says Andrew Alfano, chief operating officer at The Learning Experience, a childhood-development center franchise company. Are there ways you can support them in doing that?

Adding value to your boss by discussing the issues that are important to them, rather than just your own narrow remit sends a signal. It says: “I understand the business, and I’m ready and willing to take on more accountability for its performance.”

And sometimes you can be a little bold, Oliver says. Think about what you believe your boss would do—and do it. Use your great future-leader judgment, of course, but sometimes, you just need to let your gut and good sense guide you. For better or worse, you’re going to get feedback, she says.

8. Aim for visibility.

Your manager can’t back you up if no one outside your team knows who you are. Plus, good senior leaders typically want to get to know the people working for them to scope out potential talent in the ranks, Alfano says. Look for opportunities to connect with organizational higher-ups and take advantage of those opportunities to increase your own visibility.

While it may be easier to opt-out of leading a meeting or giving a presentation—challenge yourself to accept these offers when you can. Try to start small. If you’re in a virtual meeting, you can contribute by adding to the chat or asking questions. By doing this more and more you can become more comfortable in the spotlight and get used to the practice of speaking in front of a group.

Being promoted is partly about being known, but you don’t have to go out for beers nightly to get on people’s radar screens and begin building strong relationships. Say hello in the cafeteria, and ask about people’s weekends. Seek advice, too—in smart ways. Come in with a solution, Elizaga suggests, and then say, “But I would love to hear from you and love to get your advice since you’ve done this before.” That’s as good for bonding as happy hours can be.

If you’re working remotely, you may have to be a little more outgoing and engaging to be visible, says Jonathan Jenkins, head of digital marketing at Lofty Rankings, who landed a promotion from SEO specialist to SEO manager at Thrive Internet Marketing Agency after working remotely for several years. Be personable when communicating via email, phone, or other methods, he says, provide updates so the team knows your work is getting done, and take advantage of team calls to share positive feedback from clients or other good news. “If you can package it in the form of a pointer or a tip, or a new strategy, then that’s a great way to make it look like you’re sharing information,” he says.

9. Cultivate a positive attitude and show enthusiasm.

If you have a negative attitude and are a part of gossip or workplace politics, it may not matter how good your work is, it will be very hard to get promoted. Executives want to know that you can do the job, but they also want to see whether you can be a positive influence on the team, resulting in better performance.

7 steps to land a promotion

Okay, so you know a thing or two about making yourself promotable. But if you want to get promoted at work, there’s more to it than that. Here’s some actionable advice to help you approach the promotion process (though with a caveat that every organization and situation is slightly different).

1. Be clear on what you want and why.

The first step to making your career goal happen is to clearly define what you want and why you want it, says Lise Stransky, founder of career-coaching firm Careers That Work for You. And then think about the underlying “why?” Are you looking for career growth or simply more money? What’s the need or want that’s driving you to pursue these goals?

Breaking out your “why” helps you in two ways. First, it can help keep you motivated to pursue your goal. In addition, it can help you understand whether there’s some other way this goal could be fulfilled, Stransky says. For example, if you’re looking for more recognition, but your company can’t offer you a promotion, you may be able to negotiate a new assignment that will give you more visibility and better position you for the next opportunity. If pay raises aren’t possible right now, you may be able to negotiate remote work opportunities or other rewards that have value.

2. Tell your boss you want a promotion.

Begin a conversation around a promotion with your manager at least 6-12 months in advance.

Contrary to what you may believe, managers aren’t mind readers, and promotions aren’t given randomly with year-end reviews. Not everyone wants a promotion. Some employees are very happy in their current job and don’t want more responsibility. If you’re eager to be considered for a promotion, you have to have a proper discussion with your manager about what you want to do and where you want to go.

Ideally, says Marver, you’re having frequent meetings with your boss anyway, where you get feedback on your performance. But even if not, you may be able to find a chance to say something like this, to lay the groundwork for a discussion about your career path (in Marver’s words):

At our next one-on-one, I’d like to talk to you about opportunities for my advancement. Here is a document that I’ve prepared that just bullet points some of the contributions I feel I’ve made that have made me effective in this role. And here are some contributions I would like to have more opportunities to do, which I feel aren’t necessarily part of this role but part of another role—and I’d eventually like to be considered for it.

During conversations like these, “it’s important to say what type of promotion you want and why,” Marver says, as well as, “‘Here is the plan I am laying out for my development or growth. Here are the types of projects I propose doing. What would you add to it?’ But you start the plan first. Then let them tweak it.”

If you have a good relationship with your manager, they’ll do what they can to help you get there. “For the most part, most managers do want to see their people succeed and do well and achieve what it is that makes them happy,” says Angelina Darrisaw, founder and CEO of career coaching firm C-Suite Coach. So make sure that they’re aware of your goals so they can help you find opportunities.

3. Build a plan.

Create a plan to get you from where you are to where you want to be. Your plan will include the steps necessary to become the best candidate, including how you can obtain the credentials or training you need (e.g., if there are new skills you’d need to be successful in a more senior position, maybe there are online courses you can start with). Darrisaw advocates planning quarter by quarter, which allows you to identify new opportunities and pivot quickly if necessary. Check your company’s internal training or tuition reimbursement programs to see if you can use them to fill gaps, she says.

4. Review yourself regularly.

You may get regular feedback and a performance review from your supervisor, but it’s also important to do your own regular review to ensure you’re on track with your own goals and expectations, says Carolyn Birsky, a career coach for women in their twenties and thirties and founder of coaching firm Compass Maven. Keep track of your accomplishments, training, feedback, projects, and overall numbers related to your job. We often think we’ll remember all of these things, but it’s easy to forget pieces here and there, she says.

As you set new goals, also examine how you’ll measure success. Look at the metrics that matter to your company and include them as part of your plan, Birsky says. Whether it’s bumping up quarterly sales or improving efficiency, be sure to look for positive measures and how you can be most productive in contributing to them.

Then, periodically and honestly review your progress, set new goals, and look at what it’s going to take to get to your next milestone, she says. These self-checks can help you ensure you’re keeping on track with your own career development and shore up areas that may need improvement.

5. Keep track of your accomplishments.

“I would recommend keeping tabs on every praise and accomplishment you receive leading up to the moment you ask for a promotion,” says Adeshola. “For example, this could be emails from colleagues praising your work, testimonials from clients raving about you in meetings, or hard data that shows your work has significantly impacted the team, revenue, or company.” Make a folder in your inbox or on your desktop to store it all in one easily accessible place.

“One of the mistakes employees often make is forgetting to hold those all together in some sort of file,” says Birsky. “That can be some of your best leverage to put your case forward and say, ‘This is why I think I should be promoted. This is what makes me really good at what I do.’”

6. Consider the timing.

Part of doing your homework is knowing how and why people get promoted and understanding your company and its cycles. At some organizations, the process is formalized, and at others it’s not, but in any case you can figure out the rules. “Ask your boss up front, or you can ask people who’ve recently been promoted, or ask people in HR what are the factors,” says Caroline Ceniza-Levine, a career coach with Six Figure Start.

Make sure you get a sense of timing. If promotions are decided in March, for instance, making a big push in June might not help your cause. The broader economic environment and your company’s current outlook can have an impact too: Maybe your company is holding off giving raises or promotions until the start of its next fiscal year, says Lisa Quast, founder of Career Woman, Inc. and author of Secrets of a Hiring Manager Turned Career Coach: A Foolproof Guide to Getting the Job You Want. Every Time. Or there’s a hiring or raise freeze. Take all of these inputs into consideration.

7. Make your case.

Once you feel confident the proof is in the pudding, it’s time to make your pitch. “The week before, I would recommend creating a one-pager detailing your accomplishments and the results you’ve produced in your role. This may or may not be something you feel comfortable walking in with when you have your conversation,” Adeshola says, “but by doing this exercise, it’ll remind you that you are ready for the promotion, and it’ll give you the confidence to ask for what you deserve–knowing that you have evidence to back up why you deserve it.”

4 mistakes to avoid when you’re trying to get promoted

Whatever you do, try to avoid these common pitfalls:

1. You keep your aspirations to yourself.

Vanessa Wasche, founder of On Point Speaking, has worked with plenty of clients who want to be promoted. When she asks them if they’ve let their director or manager know, they often say something along the lines of, “No, but I’m hoping they’ll see my extra efforts.” These people are missing the most effective strategy for getting considered for a promotion: letting their manager know what they want.

Don’t keep your promotion aspirations—or other career goals, for that matter—to yourself. If you don’t tell your boss you’re striving to be promoted, they may not even be considering you.

2. You forget your accomplishments.

One of the biggest faults of so many aspiring promotees is that they underplay (or even forget) their accomplishments. Make sure you keep track of your successes so when the time comes and someone says, “What have you been working on?” you can tell them. Keep a journal with bullet points (x sale on this date, project completed on this date). It will make it easier to recall your work when the time comes.

3. You assume you just need to work more.

Throwing time at a problem isn’t the only way to solve it. Lots of people work hard. You see them every day. They wear it like a badge of honor. “Look how many hours I work!” As if somehow that, by itself, creates value. It doesn’t.

Yes, you have to work hard, but what if you were to work 60-70 hours per week, every week, and still fail to deliver on your core objectives? The hard work quickly becomes irrelevant in the shadow of underperformance and failure.

To stand out, you have to show that you can produce incredible results, and deliver extraordinary value for your company.

4. You’re putting effort toward the wrong things.

Yes, you might want to get involved with extra projects or take on new responsibilities, Powell says. She shares one caveat, though: Be sure you’re working in areas that matter to the company and will move you toward your goals. It’s easy to find ways to be busy that either aren’t aligned with what the leadership values or that won’t develop skills or visibility you need.

So choose these added efforts wisely and spend most of your time on projects that decision-makers deem important. “That way, you’re being perceived as someone who’s capable of doing more,” says Ceniza-Levine. To be clear, “doing more doesn’t mean working later or literally doing more. It means doing higher value work instead of some of the other stuff that you do now.”

Rich Bellis, Max Chan, Laura Vanderkam, Vanessa Wasche, and Martin G. Moore also contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article.

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Everything you need to know about how to get promoted at work