If an employee wants to get promoted in the next year, what should she do to better position herself?

Before she starts thinking about getting promoted, she needs to be sure she is doing the best job possible right now. Better yet, she needs to consistently exceed her manager’s expectations. That way, when she asks to take on new responsibilities, her boss will know she’s ready for more.

OK, now that she’s exceeding expectations, what’s next?

She should look around for ways to volunteer for additional assignments that will give her increased visibility in the organization. For instance, is there a task force she could serve on? Is there an interdepartmental project to volunteer for? If she gets such an opportunity, she must do great work there while continuing to perform her current responsibilities at a high level.

Beyond taking on extra work, how else can she be proactive?

She should research the experience, knowledge, skills, and education the job she wants requires, and put together a plan to match up the requirements with her background.

If her organization offers career development webinars, training programs, or other ways to gain new knowledge, she should take full advantage. Tuition-reimbursement benefits can help her add a certification that may be important for the advanced position she wants. This is also a great time to seek out a mentor in the area she’d like to work in to gain knowledge and advice from a more seasoned professional.

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