My father-in-law suggested this blog post several weeks ago. He noted there are so many people who want the opportunity to advance and they aren’t sure how to begin that process. He thought it might be a good idea to put together a few tips of how to start working toward your next big promotion
Here are a few strategies that I believe have helped me advance, and I’ll hope they’ll be helpful to you or someone you know who’s looking for the next step.
Five Strategies to Help You Advance
Learn industry trends — It’s important to understand the trends in your industry to be successful. For example, if you’re a communications specialist or a graphic designer in higher education, it would be helpful to understand the enrollment process. Understanding that puts you in a better position to advance to a director because you have the technical skills and also framework of where you work will live. There are a couple of ways to do this. First, ask to attend meetings with campus partners. This will help you understand the nuances of the work at the local level. Also, look at professional development options from many of the higher education partners out there. There are so many entities providing great research and best practice trends (often free) that can help you learn these trends.
Communicate — Be upfront about your desire to advance. In setting goals with your leaders, share your desire to take on more. However it’s important to not stop there. Instead, the more guidance you can give your leader, the better. For example, when sharing this desire, it would be helpful to share a few ideas that you think would help you in preparing for the next step. It might mean sitting in budget meetings, working on a high-profile project, or attending leadership meetings. Suggesting ideas will make this conversation easier for your leader (who is likely busy) and will help in aligning your goals to institutional priorities. Additionally, listen to the feedback you receive about what areas need work. Hearing the feedback and working to improve in those areas will help you showcase your desire to be involved in a great capacity
Focus on Being the Expert First — One of the best pieces of advice I ever heard from a mentor is to make sure you fully understand your own area of responsibility before beginning conversations about next steps and growth. If your leaders perceive that you are an expert in your area, then it is easier to make the case that you’re ready for the next step. Being the expert in your own work also helps you mentor others. Mentoring others (both on campus and off campus) can help you demonstrate to your leaders that you want to be a leader and help the profession as a whole.
Be Persistent — As you look to grow, be sure to regularly communicate your desire. Leaders often have lots on their plates, so they need your help in reminding them of the importance of this topic. Every couple of months, you should be checking in on opportunities to do more. For example, you might first plant the seed for new opportunities. Then, follow up in a month or two to reiterate your interest. If you receive an additional opportunity, be sure to circle back and share how it helped you grow. Then, remind the leader you appreciated their support and would be open to that experience again. You’ll need to strike the balance between regular conversation and not badgering. Every other month is often a good cadence, but you may want to adjust based on your leader.
Be Patient — New opportunities (especially in a formalized capacity) take time, sometimes years. You may need to acquire new skills. There may be challenges within the organizational chart, or there may be process obstacles beyond the supervisor’s control. Seth O’Dell did a great job articulating this a few weeks ago in a blog post on LinkedIn. As you’re having conversations with your leaders, ask about the challenges that might prevent you from having an opportunity to advance. Chances are, they’ll have a pretty good idea about them and can give insight to the difficulties you might face. Sometimes these challenges are surmountable, but sometimes they are not. That’s why it’s important to talk about them with your leadership. Knowing the organizational climate is key to helping you have reasonable expectations about what is possible—and to preparing you, if needed, to explore opportunities outside your current organization when the next step isn’t possible where you are.
What Else?
These are a few strategies I’ve used to help show that I’m ready for the next opportunity. What are other strategies worth considering?
And Carrie On 