By Ope L. Akinyemi

Follow these tips and that promotion is yours just like that!

Often times, when companies are recruiting for a management position, they are generally looking to fill this position with an internal employee. It is much easier for internal employees to get into such a position even with little or no previous management experience, however, if you wish to be considered it is very important that you show your leadership capabilities first. Here are some things you can do to get noticed and enhance your chances of a promotion:

Build a Positive Relationship
The expression of only getting one chance to make a first impression is absolutely true, so try to get off to a good start. Building a positive relationship with the people on your team means you need to make an effort to get to know the people with whom you work and learn about what skills and abilities they bring to the table. Also, no one likes to work with someone who is constantly negative and complains about every little task. As hard as it may be sometimes, try to have a good attitude.

Make Your Intentions Known
clearly state your career goals. Never assume that your boss knows your career aspirations. Also, ask for feedback about your current performance with respect to job responsibilities and current skills needed for the next level of promotion.

Take the Lead
Show that you are able to lead and influence. Volunteer for projects that are critical to the strategic initiatives of the company, especially those which require that you learn new skills. Network with co-workers in other business areas or departments. By stepping forward instead of waiting to be assigned you show that you have initiative, you are interested in learning and you are willing to take risks. In jobs where teamwork is used frequently, look for opportunities to head teams in order to achieve work-related goals.

See Also

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Contribute Your Ideas
Come up with ideas to improve the systems in the office, whether it is productivity in your department or even something as simple as how to keep staff motivation high. Solutions bring relief to the team and fuel new energy. Looking for special projects you can be a part of is also a great way to get your ideas in front of people who can help you make vertical and horizontal career moves. Ideas can come from anyone.

Do Your Best – Today!
This is the most important tip that you can use to get promoted. Forget about the great work you did previously. That is gone. In all probability, no one else cares about it especially your supervisors. Think not only about the future but also about the present. They care about what you are working on and how you perform on that. Also, your co-workers will begin to realize they can depend on you to do a good job.

……….Culled from tw April 2013 Edition.