How to get a promotion - for normal people

Very often the best way to take the next step up the career ladder is to move to a new company. But it’s not always the case. Before you look for another job in hospitality, check out your chances of promotion at your current company. After all, it does have its benefits — apart from anything else, you know the people there.

That, though, can be the greatest stumbling block. People who’ve known you for a while in a particular role can find it difficult to imagine you in a more senior role. You can easily find yourself pigeonholed unless you do something to change how people see you. And the onus is very much on you to do the work here. It’s up to you to reinvent the ‘work you’.

So how do you do that?

Ask this question of most career guidance experts, and they’ll probably give you a list of tips like this:

Dress like the executive you want to become
Turn up before your boss
Leave after your boss
Never miss an opportunity to point out your achievements and abilities
Contribute vocally to team meetings
Demand extra responsibility

The problem is that all too often, this doesn’t make people want to promote you; it just makes them think you’re a bit odd.

Here’s how normal people go about getting a promotion.

1. Tell your boss what you’re thinking

First, tell your boss that you’re interested in a promotion. Explain that you've been doing your current job for a while, point out how well you are performing in this role, and let him or her know you're ready for a fresh challenge.

Make it clear that you hope your current employer can provide this challenge, but if not, you may have to look elsewhere. Don’t deliver this as an ultimatum, just as an honest description of your situation.

2. Find out how this can happen

Having made your position clear to your boss, ask what needs to happen for that promotion to be possible. If he or she says it isn’t going to happen, then give thanks for his or her time, update your CV, and start looking for a new job.

It’s very unlikely however that bosses will say this. Managers appreciate staff who are upfront and constructive with them. They much prefer it to people secretly looking for new jobs. Just keep in mind though, that you can hardly be given a promotion if there just isn’t a role available. However, if you’re willing to relocate, there may be opportunities farther afield within the business, so make sure your boss talks to the regional manager about other opportunities.

It’s likely your boss will need some time to devise a plan of action, so schedule another meeting. At this meeting your boss should detail the skills, knowledge and experience you will need in order to achieve this promotion.

3. Negotiate the plan

Let’s be realistic. Your boss knows that giving you a promotion is going to cost them more money. This means they may want to put it off for as long as possible and so present you with a plan that takes longer than you want, or than is necessary.

If that does happen, don’t be afraid to negotiate with them. Point out the skills, knowledge and experience you already have. Remember, if you feel they are being unreasonable you can at any point thank them for their time and start looking for a new job.

4. Do your part

Once you have agreed a plan of action, make sure you deliver your side of it. Where possible, do even more than agreed. Whether it is training, longer hours, extra responsibility, or something make it clear that you are capable and enthusiastic.

It may well be that you need to start doing some of the points listed above. If you don't have to wear a uniform at work, it may well be more appropriate to dress smarter, or to contribute more vocally to team meetings, and so on. Just make sure it's appropriate to the situation, and it looks normal.

5. Review progress regularly

As part of the plan, agree regular meetings where you and your boss will review progress on the agreed plan. You will have done your part, so you need to hold your employer to doing their part. If they fail to deliver, then you may have to accept that your promotion isn’t likely to happen at that company.

If this does happen, then don’t despair or feel like you’ve wasted time you could have spent finding a new job. Take the skills you’ve learnt, the experience you’ve had, and add them to your CV. Then log onto Caterer.com and start looking there for a fresh opportunity – make your boss sorry they missed the chance to promote you!

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- Why you're scared to look for a new job
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