Plan your promotion
I.M. Soni

TO desire promotion and advancement in one’s career is one thing, to achieve them is another. Promotion demands more than just desire.

You need the ability to do the next job at the higher level. You need to be qualified at a time when a suitable vacancy arises. Age is another factor.

You must convince superiors that you have the qualities for the job next up and deserve the scale above.

Determine what further skills it needs in addition to those needed for your present job. Set out to acquire them and prove that you have them. Try to outgrow your present post.

Be ready when the opportunity comes. This is where luck is knocked out. You can help to make your own destiny.

Make yourself ready for promotion so that at any rate you will be among those considered. You must work every day with promotion in mind, not waiting until the last moment, when the vacancy comes.

It is difficult if you are either too young or too old. Many employers like to see fairly senior people occupying the leading positions because maturity helps in the control of staff, or ensures better performance.

If you feel that youth is working against you, be patient. Get as much experience as you can by taking opportunities of different kinds of work within your organisation. Variety of experience is more important than length of experience.

The man who complains that he has been passed over despite his 20 years’ service may overlook the fact that he has had only one year’s service 20 times over. Use your youth to enrich your experience.

Keep adding to your knowledge. Study for the examinations that give you formal paper qualifications. Support that basic knowledge by developing expertise.

Do each day as much as you possibly can, not just enough to get by. The people who make most progress in their careers regard their jobs as exciting avenues. Those who make least progress usually look upon the day’s work as a necessary evil.

Work with zest and enthusiasm. Identify yourself with your organisation, not just a particular faction. Do extra work. Take on without complaint any additional task that comes your way. Figure out ways to do it. Cut your time-wasting habits.

Those who get promotion first build a reputation of reliability of rising to the occasion when staff is short or something has gone wrong.

Build a picture of yourself as a person of ideas and resourcefulness, a man who finds solutions, not one who only produces problems.

Do not wait to be told what to do. Accept and carry out orders without complaint. Do not make a fuss when you are overruled.

Train yourself on how to give orders, how to supervise work, how to teach juniors their jobs.

The ultimate distinction lies in the way you can take the lead, gain sympathy and get others to do things willingly.

Work at improving your skill with people. Develop the characteristics of friendliness, tact, loyalty, reliability — all the good qualities you admire in those at present holding the jobs senior to yours.

Deserve a promotion not just desire it. You will get it, for good workers do not come a dime a dozen.