Movin’ On Up: 10 Ways to Ask for That Promotion (Part II of II)
Asking for a promotion is a daunting thing. It’s not something you train for. And it can be an awkward exchange for both you and your boss. So how do you make it as painless as possible while increasing your chance of success? Here are ten ways to make your quest for a promotion worthwhile.
1. Earn a Promotion
The last thing you should do is wake up one morning and decide to ask for a promotion simply because you’re in the mood for one. You can’t ask for a promotion without first earning a promotion (reference last week’s Career Tips Article Part I). A promotion is something you should seriously evaluate and prepare for. Once you’ve decided a promotion is really what you’re interested in, and have demonstrated an ability to take on more responsibility, then you’re ready to approach your boss.
2. Prepare Your Boss
Depending on your boss, it might be a good idea to express your interest in
preparing for a promotion before you actually ask for one. This may be a chance for you to get feedback and advice on career advancement. And once you’ve mentioned your interest in a promotion, your increased effort in the workplace and the ultimate promotion conversation will not come as a surprise.
3. Pick a Good Time
Don’t go to your boss during the busiest time of year. Wait for a time when your boss is relaxed and ready to respond to you positively; this applies to the time of year, and even the time of day. It’s also a good idea to ride a wave of success into your boss’s office; schedule “the talk” after you’ve made a significant contribution that is good measure of your success.
4. Pick a Method of Delivery
A face-to-face meeting is often the best method for discussing a promotion because it allows for an exchange where you can ask and answer questions. But you know your boss best and may feel an email or memo is the best approach. You want to make sure your message is clear, and that your boss knows you expect a timely response.
5. Do Your Homework
A promotion doesn’t always come with a raise, so you need to decide whether you want the responsibility without the pay increase. Write out a job description listing all your responsibilities, and then do some research to see what other are being paid for comparable work. Also see what title best matches your responsibilities. What more would you need to take on in order to move to a higher position?
6. Focus On How You Benefit The Company
Practice your approach. You don’t want to sound like you’re selfishly grubbing for more money without considering your employer’s needs. Plan out how you want the conversation to go. Get the bullet points you feel will make the case for your promotion. Stats, accomplishments on the job, goals reached, etc. would all play a part of how you deserve that promotion. Once you have that down then you can share with your boss how your promotion would benefit him/her and the company. By communicating how much you’ve contributed to the company and how much more you’d like to contribute, your boss will be more likely to grant you the promotion.
Another way to make it more certain you will get that promotion if you are able to do a cost analysis (how much you will be saving the company in that promotion) and how much money you will be making the company when you are promoted. If you are able to get solid, verifiable numbers to support this decision, your boss would be crazy to not give you that promotion you are asking for.
7. Be Specific
When you talk about the promotion be specific. How would you like to expand your current position and how much more would you like to be paid for it. When you clearly set the parameters of what you are proposing to your boss, he will know in turn exactly what he needs to make a decision on, and how it will benefit the company. If you leave it in an ambiguous mush then the decision made will reflect that. You want to give yourself the best chance for that promotion. be clear and concise.
8. Don’t Use Ultimatums, UNLESS You’re Willing To Act On Them
How badly do you want the promotion? Is this career advancement necessary for you to get you where you would like to go? Budgetary constraints may limit your current employer’s ability to promote you. IN that case, you need to consider whether you’re willing to leave if you don’t get the promotion. Either wat, you shouldn’t throw around ultimatums in attempts to bully your boss into a promotion. It will leave your boss with a bad impression and may even prevent you from ever getting a promotion or a good reference later.
9. Lighten Up
Be calm, collected, and mature. A tense or desperate tone will make the discussion much more difficult. This can be an awkward meeting for you and your boss, and if you can lighten things up a bit, it will put you both at ease.
10. Be Graceful, Whatever The Response
Remember that you shouldn’t end the discussion if your boss doesn’t offer you the promotion. That’s a good time to ask for feedback. What more would you need to do to earn the promotion? Is there a possibility of getting a promotion in the future? Walking out of the office and slamming the door won’t do you or your boss any good.
Asking for a promotion can be one of the most difficult things you do in your career. But if you approach it in just the right way it can be a positive experience, illustrating your determination to advance and succeed while taking the necessary steps to move forward in your career.
Universal Accounting Center Can Help You Earn That Promotion
In an informal poll taken by the success coaches here at Universal Accounting, we contacted 100 graduates of our Professional Bookkeeper Program 12 months after their graduation; 74% are now working in the accounting field, have been promoted to a management position or own their own accounting business. Not bad. Would you like to have those statistics on your side? Come read what our graduates have to say about the program. Visit Universal Accounting and see how we can help you begin earning that promotion today.
