Complain to your boss about everything that bothers you. Do the minimum. Do not learn any new skills. Do not agree to join a new project unless you get payed more and do not share the credit for work that was done by a team. Now you’re on the road to a promotion right? Well no but we’ve all watched Office Space and unfortunately the truth is that sometimes the screw ups of the office are the ones who are being promoted.

Are you the person who does theirjob perfectly? You’re dependable and get all your work done and you can be seen working hard from 9:00am-5:00pm. Well this might be your problem. You are to good at your own job. Why would your boss want to promote you if your perfect for the role you’re in?

To get promoted you need to be aggressive and you need to be ambitious.

Stop Working On Your Job
If you want to be promoted to the next level up (admin assistant to junior level Exec or what ever level you want to be in) you need to start doing that job. You need to show your boss that you have already been doing that work and can slide into the new role easily. If you know someone in the role you want, ask them if they need help on the next project they’re working on. Getting the experience will get you the promotion.

Find A Mentor
Its a good idea to develop a relationship with someone senior in your company. Not only can you learn from this person but they can vouch for you when an opportunity opens up. They can motivate you to take that course you know you should or provide you with projects that will beef up your resume.

Sell Yourself
If you just sit in your cubicle and hope someone realizes that you did an amazing job on that project then you will be waiting forever. You need to tell your boss but you need to do it in away that you don’t sound like a conceded fool. I like the idea of quantifying your work and sending your boss an update with all your results each month. Not only do you get to keep an email log of all your accomplishments but this log will be great material not only for a promotion but during salary talks as well. If you can show results then you will get ahead.

Be Positive
Try not to look stressed or overwhelmed in front of the boss. Always have a positive outlook on everything. Your boss and people around you will notice. If you have a problem and need to ask your boss a question then make sure that you have one answer ready. Boss’s like upbeat people who can problem solve. Learn to create the life you want and stop being insecure.

Befriend Your Boss
Your boss holds the key to your career path. Do you want to move up? Down? Stay where you are? Or move laterally? Whichever the path you will need there help so befriend them. Once you build a relationship and a bond with your boss you can then bring up the fact that you want to be promoted. The next time an opportunity comes up not only will they think of you because you were clear and told them about your goals but because you have built a relationship and they will want to help you succeed.

At The End Of The Day
A promotion is not a given. You need to work on it but also remember to do your current role perfectly. Apply for internal jobs even if you feel you are not ready for the role. This will let your boss and senior level know that you are looking for a move and it helps you to strengthen your interview skills again.

Good Luck!

Photo by: stevendepolo

Do you need my help?