How many times have you said (or heard someone else say): “I should have had that promotion…I’m much more qualified than he is!” or “I should have gotten that job …it was a perfect fit!”? So…if, indeed, you’re well qualified, why didn’t you get the job or the promotion?
Here are six things you can do to make sure your chances are better the next time an opportunity comes up.
1. Be Worthy!
The first chapter in our book about the art of tactful self-promotion, is to “Be Worthy.” Do your job really well. If you don’t do an outstanding job, go beyond the basic requirements, everything else you do to promote yourself is worthless – in fact it’s even worse – it’s inauthentic – a fraud.
Take an honest look at your performance. Seek out candid feedback. Ask your boss or co-workers questions that will elicit truthful information. Try these questions to get started:
- What are three or four words you might use to describe me?
- From what you’ve seen while working with me, what would you say are my strengths, outside of any particular technical skills?
- If you were coaching me, what would you advise me to change in order to improve my performance or reputation?
You’re likely to hear some great stuff (which you can use in your value proposition). But you might not like everything you hear. That’s okay – your goal is to figure out what you need to work on – better now than when that next job opening occurs!
2. Make sure your boss knows that you are interested in more responsibility
We know of a young man who was assistant manager in a business; when the General Manager of his location left, someone from outside was hired for the GM job. When he asked why he was not considered, they answered “We didn’t know you were interested in that job.” Shame on his boss for not knowing, but shame on him for not letting the bosses know.
Schedule a time to meet with your boss and tell him/her that you are interested in progressing in the organization. Be specific about the direction and type of position you’re interested in, and ask if he/she thinks it is reasonable, and what you need to work on to make sure you’re qualified when the time is right. Ask for his/her support to prepare for a next opportunity. If you find out your boss is not supportive, it’s better to find out now and prepare a back-up plan.
3. Build a strong network within your organization
Your boss is not the only decision-maker, nor influencer, when it comes to making a move within your organization. Your boss’s boss, and the peers of both of them should know who you are, ideally through in-person contacts, but at least through your good reputation! Here are a few ways to build a positive reputation and become known in your organization:
- Volunteer to join task forces, especially those that are cross-functional.
- Ask some of the members of those groups to have coffee or lunch. Take an interest in them. Ask curiosity-based questions to learn more. If you’re not interested in them, they are unlikely to take an interest in you.
- Write an article for the company newsletter, especially one that would require you to interview some of the more senior managers that you’d like to develop a relationship with (of course, with your boss’s approval).
4. Be a “student of the game”
Make sure you’re up to date on the trends and skills in your profession and industry so you are prepared for more responsibility. You need to build skills that will be needed in the future. Stay current on emerging technologies as well as best practices in your profession. Some natural ways to do this include:
- Becoming active in professional associations
- Reading professional journals
- Following an intriguing blog or two, and an expert you admire (on Twitter or elsewhere)
- Participating in a couple of LinkedIn groups focused on your area of expertise
5. Build a strong network outside your organization
Most people won’t stay in one organization their entire careers. In fact, most will work for five, six or more organizations in the course of their careers. We can’t tell you how many people we’ve worked with over the years who have very few contacts outside their own organizations. Now is the time to start being known outside your company. Here are a few things you can do:
- Join a professional association and become active: attend meetings and serve on a committee or the board. Look for an association whose members are people at your level and higher.
- Get to know some of the search people in your profession. Help them with their searches by giving them names of strong players that you know.
- Invite someone who is well thought of in your profession or industry to breakfast or lunch as part of your “research” to be a student of the game. Of course, do some research beforehand, and have some good questions prepared.
6. Become a thought leader in your profession/industry
This is critical for people who want to go far in their professions – so critical that we’ve devoted an entire chapter to it in our book. We share the story of Natasha who, after missing out on an international assignment, started with some of the suggestions mentioned above. After getting her boss’s support to write an article on how to prepare for a successful international assignment, she interviewed several executives in the company, and published an article in the company online newsletter. Then she posted it on LinkedIn, and used the idea to interview executives in other organizations for a broader article. Then she …. well, you’ll just have to read that chapter of the book to learn how she worked her way beyond her international assignment to be a national speaker and started her own consulting business.
And look for our upcoming blog posts on becoming a thought leader. We have several in the works!
You’ll notice that many of our suggestions can help you in several ways – joining a professional organization, for example, will broaden your network and help you be a student of the game. We offer many more strategies and tactics for success in our book, “Power Your Career: The Art of Tactful Self-Promotion at work” We hope you’ll take a look at the book and free resources on our website.
Good luck with your career!
