How to Ask for a Promotion

You watched how your colleagues have been promoted, while you work hard, being praised for your results and...Nothing...

No promotion.

It is time to approach your boss and have a serious discussion about your opportunities for promotion. Here is how you should act.

The preparation

Consider the previous feedback. Did you receive a specific feedback and guidelines for development? If yes, have you followed them? Be prepared to discuss how well you followed the information received or why you ignored them.

Also, create a list of achievements. Separate the list in achievements which are part of your regular work and those which were additional.

For the achievements that are part of your daily duties, have you surpassed the expectations or the results? If yes, be prepared to show how well you did. If not, get ready to discuss why you have not reached the target.

For the achievements that are not part of your duties, how did you get involved in them? Have you volunteered? Were you assigned by the chief or someone else? For these achievements, have you reached the expectations? Be prepared to talk about your results.

At this point you should have a pretty good idea about how you handle the job. Write on a paper some key ideas and get ready for a meeting with your boss.

The discussion

Establish a formal meeting with your manager. Depending on your relation with him, you can go to lunch together or you can meet in his/ her office.

Be honest and direct about the meeting schedule- this will give your manager the change to prepare himself for discussion. The last thing you want to do is to surprise him.

Start the meeting by thanking him for his time. Most people don't have the courage to ask for a promotion and the meeting can be uncomfortable both for the manager and for you.

Tell your manager that you want to understand why you haven't been promoted, while your colleagues received better jobs. Keep the discussion focused on your performance, on the feedback received in the past and opportunities for advancement in the future.

If the manager will tell you that you can't be and won't be promoted, ask him for a specific feedback. Whether you choose to stay on the job or not, the feedback is important.

End the meeting by thanking him again for his time and if necessary, establish a further meeting for possible actions to be undertaken.

Act

After the meeting, take a look at your notes and clarify what you don't understand.

Send a short message to "thank" to your manager and overview again any tasks or subsequent projects at which you'll work.

Offer regular notifications to your boss about your work.

Enjoy the promotion or the realistic steps that you do to prepare yourself for this opportunity.

Sources: ask.metafilter.com/.../Help-me-ask-for-a-promotion, www.videojug.com/film/how-to-ask-for-a-promotion, managerqanda.blogspot.com/.../how-to-ask-for-promotion.html