Create Your Own Path
by Brenda Koritko
Tired of watching other workers advance their career as you
continue to exceed all expectations in your position? If you
have experienced this situation, even once, you know that
you can't continue to wait for others to decide when you
should be offered a promotion. Even if you are not ready to
make a job change today, you will benefit from knowing how
to put into action a successful self-promotion plan.
Unfortunately, if no one knows how much you contribute to
the company, you will continue to miss the next great
opportunity. Letting people know that you are interested in
advancing your career is the first step in an effective
self-promotion plan. You can simply advise your immediate
supervisor or a representative from your human resource
department, but remember the old adage that "actions speak
louder than words", and plan to make a lasting impression.
One successful technique is to single out an unresolved
challenge that exists in your company. Try to pick a
situation that your combination of experience and skills
will benefit. Write a memo that outlines the need you
discovered and highlights how you will use your skills to
resolve the problem, and contribute to the immediate
objectives of the team or department involved. Send your
memo to the person that would benefit most from your unique
approach, for example, your boss or a human resource
representative.
Don't wait for your organization to discover the same need.
By waiting, you take the chance that they may decide to post
the position, or they may decide to promote one of your
peers. By being proactive, you create a win-win situation.
You may gain a challenging opportunity that you will enjoy
and eliminate the need for a competition. Even if a new
opportunity does not result from your actions, you have
successfully created an opportunity to demonstrate your
value to the organization, and possibly increased the
likelihood that they consider you for the next rewarding
opportunity.
Volunteering is another way to demonstrate your value while
expanding your knowledge in critical areas of your company.
Volunteering also provides a great way to earn a reputation
for being reliable, professional, and cooperative. Keep in
mind that while you are volunteering, you may discover a
need that you have the skills and experience to resolve. A
great advantage in this situation is that by being involved,
you know the right person to contact; it may be the person
you are working with in your volunteer position.
The more you know about yourself, the more you will
communicate about your value to the right people at the
right time. Record everything that you do to enhance the
company's bottom line. Start today by dividing a blank sheet
of paper into three columns with three separate headings:
action, result of action, and impact of action. Keep this
paper with you as you do your job.
Your key accomplishments are probably actions that you take
for granted. For example, if you are responsible for
accounts payable, in column one write paying invoices; in
column two write the result of this action, for example,
paid in time - no interest payments, and in the third column
write the impact of this action, for example, a decrease in
the cost of production. Did you think of this action as
related to decreasing cost, or did you think of it as doing
part of your job? How do you think others view this action?
Scheduled performance reviews provide the perfect
opportunity to showcase your accomplishments. By being
proactive and creating opportunities, you improve the
likelihood that you will gain the attention of your employer
and the promotion that you deserve.
Brenda Koritko is the author of I Manage Me a timely ebook
providing techniques to help you achieve your immediate
career goals with benefits throughout your career. Secure
rewarding opportunities with companies that are actually
hiring. Click here to get more information