Most dream of job promotions that will take them to new career heights and increase their salaries to twice-a-year-family-holiday proportions. In order to get ahead it takes more than degrees and experience, it takes a certain degree of people management and the ability to avoid some ridiculously simple mistakes. Believe it or not, but the simpler the mistake the bigger the possibility it will impact any prospects of a job promotion.
What not to do if you want a Job Promotion
Talk behind your bosses back: There are a few who are blessed with cool bosses, and then there are many who are dealt a horrible hand in the boss’ stakes. Regardless of your personal feelings, do not talk about your boss behind his back. Job promotions are not a dime a dozen in many industries and if yours is one, try not to completely kill your career by making the mistake of dissing your boss and passing up the only opportunity you may get for a job promotion.
Not handling criticism well: Even constructive criticism is not handled well by some people and this can leave a bitter taste in your manager’s mouth as he/she will eventually stop asking you about projects and work-related updates as your attitude may be negative. As much as you may like the idea of not being hounded by the boss, it does nothing for your future job promotion prospects and overall company view of your disposition on work affiliated issues.
Not getting the job done: If you say you are going to do something, then do it. There is nothing more annoying for a boss when he/she requests a job to be done and it’s still sitting in your inbox past the deadline. Being a trustworthy employee is another key to a job promotion.
Look the part: Taking pride in your appearance makes a huge difference to how people view you. Dress for the job you want, not the job you have; is a pretty well-known saying that hits the nail on the head. If you are eyeballing a job promotion to management but are dressing in creased shirts and bad ties, in an industry that prides itself on A-line skirts, tailored jackets and coiffed hair, then you’re excelling at one of the biggest mistakes of job promotion.
There are several other things to consider when visualising that job promotion and many of them require being presentable, honest, trustworthy, showing initiative, a people’s person, great social skills and the ability to not aggravate your boss to the degree where your only job promotion may be to cleaning the toilets. What can you do to change your job promotion chances for the better?
Citations:
- CC image from Flickr
Nicky Warner, the author of this blog post, is a passionate freelance writer. Her self-employment means she is free to work from office space in Houston, China or Australia. Promotions come in the form of new clients.