5 Ways to Position Yourself for a Promotion

Many life science professionals would like to progress within their organization and get promoted.  Unfortunately, career development within a company is usually not explained and there isn’t a roadmap for how to be successful.  In one organization, volunteering for extra research projects is a good idea and will help show that you are ready for new opportunities.  While another firm may value different skills and promote you to a management role based on how you showed your leadership in a group assignment.

There are many variables to consider when you want to be promoted.  What is the size of your organization?  What is the organizational hierarchy like?  Do they promote from within the company?  Are you worthy of a promotion?  The answers to those questions will help you know more about your odds of moving up.  There are fundamental areas you should consider before asking for a promotion.  Here are five ways to position yourself for a promotion!

1. Consider your last performance review 

This is an excellent source of information for how you are viewed internally. What type of feedback did you get? Have you made any changes to your work or behavior?  Have you addressed issues that were brought up? Are you meeting all goals discussed for your role?

If you aren’t excelling in your current position based on internal standards, targeting a promotion will not be effective.  You should reassess your work and determine how to produce at a high level.  This will make you appear more “promotable” within your company.   

2. Release Negative Energy

This can be very difficult, but you need to let go of previous tension and drama. Holding on to negative thoughts based on events from the past doesn’t serve you as you try to move forward.  Let go of any emotions around being overlooked for promotions in the past.  If you are still harboring those feelings, there is a very good chance others can feel that energy, and not want to approach the topic of future promotions.  The key is to focus on a positive future, where you have the opportunity to develop within your career.

3. Find the Gaps

Now, it’s time to get creative and strategic.  What does your team need?  How can you help meet those needs?  How can you go above and beyond when doing extra work or taking on additional duties?  If you hear others complaining about issues or problems, those might be areas where you could help.  If you don’t have any ideas on gaps in your company, ask one of your close colleagues about challenges they have at work.  Making a list of different problems, and then prioritizing them based on urgency can be helpful.

4. Create Your Own Plan to Fill the Gaps

Once you know a place where you can solve a problem for your team, plan out how you could do that, while keeping up with your main duties.  Make sure that this issue is in your designated job scope.  For example, if the overall company’s systems are unorganized that doesn’t fall into your role to fix.  But, if your research team’s systems and files are unorganized and it affects your productivity, that’s a great place to take initiative to fix. As you address a gap within your role, be sure to utilize your individual strengths, it boosts your credibility. This is your chance to distinguish yourself from all of your teammates and colleagues.

5. Lead by Example

Finally, you want to volunteer for additional assignments and projects, even those that aren’t desirable.  Managers tend to remember who takes on extra work and is willing to do things that others aren’t.  This also shows that you care about the collective, and aren’t just out for yourself.  When events don’t go as planned, remember not to blame others. If you stay positive and focus on creating solutions, you are positioning yourself as a leader who can handle periods of change and uncertainty. 

Before directly asking for a promotion, it’s a good idea to position yourself as a good candidate for the desired job.  Understanding how you’re viewed within the company is vital and releasing negative energy will demonstrate your resilience.  Finding gaps or problems that are issues now and solving those is a way to be noticed by management for all of the right reasons.  What can you do immediately to position yourself for a promotion? 

Porschia Parker is a Certified Coach, Professional Resume Writer, and Founder of Fly High Coaching. She empowers ambitious professionals to add $10K on average to their salaries.