Sometimes the toughest career move is advancing in your current company. How many times have you seen the “grass is greener” method of promotion where outsiders are hired for better jobs over the insiders who wanted them?
Outsiders are hired for many reasons. Perhaps they have special experience or achievements. They might have a fresh take on your organization. Sometimes, the old adage “familiarity breeds contempt” is at work. Hard as it can be, people still get promoted from within all the time.
Darlene Zambruski, writing for ResumeEdge.com, suggests keeping detailed records of your job performance and achievements. Include past projects, ideas that management implemented and all your successes. If possible, describe your accomplishments in terms of the financial benefits to the company, using dollar amounts and percentage comparisons as much as you can. When sitting down with the powers that be, concrete examples of your accomplishments will help you make the case to get a promotion.
“No matter how fair an employer tries to be, they don’t have the same vested interest as you in personal career progression,” Zambruski said. In addition, the employer has to focus on more people than you do. You only have to keep track of yourself, so it’s incumbent on you to make your case for advancement and have the documentation to support it.
Scott Pansky, a partner at the public relations firm of Allison & Partners, believes that rather than waiting for a performance review, take the initiative and request a meeting with your boss when you feel it’s warranted. “If supervisors are not recognizing your efforts, it’s OK to sit down with them and share your results and directly ask if there is anything else you can do to get to the next level. The employee must be willing to listen and accept the answer good or bad.”