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Promotions in 2020
thedatadame

How to get promoted in a difficult year

Career Advice, Career Coaching, Data, Job Search

2020 has been really, really rough but that shouldn’t stop you from advancing in your career. 

Whether you are laser focused on a promotion in your current role or have your eye on another title that fits your career roadmap. Focus on your desired career outcome.

It’s almost the end of one of the most challenging years known to Millennials and Gen Z’s. Between lay-offs, furloughs, and uncertainty in the current economic environment, it’s in your best interest to navigate the rough waters to career fulfillment. 

So where to start?  Pull up your Notes app , a Google Sheet, or a trusty notebook and pen and use the following category guides to answer some questions about kick off your path to promotion:

  • Career Conversations: When was the last time you had a conversation with your immediate manager about your career or roadmap in your current role?
  • Was it last year? Last quarter? If you have never had one, this is ok too.
  • Identifying your North Star: What is your desired career outcome?
  • What does a next step look like for you in the form of new responsibilities? Is this position available at your current company? Or is this a new role that you would like to create?
  • FInd the salary range of your North Star role: Ask around, source mentors and sponsors about the salary range you should aim for. Additionally go to sites like Indeed and Glassdoor to find salary ranges that match the title of the position your dream role.
  • Identify your starting role: Regardless of when you started, a year ago, six months ago, etc.  What was the job description for the role that you were hired for? Find this out. If you landed your current role from a recruiter, look for the job description they sent you. If the position is closed do some Googling or reach out to your HR department to ask for the job description.

Now that you have your data points, start to frame your ask:

  1. Fill in the gap between you as a New Employee vs. Now
    1. Using the job description for the role you were hired into, do a self assessment on where you are now vs. the role you were hired into. Start a checklist of responsibilities and skills you have met or exceeded and  provide examples for each and when this happened ( example: Q1 2020, March 2020, etc.).

* Bonus, if you have done any projects that are outside of the scope of your role and if said project involved executive leadership (working on a deliverable, group project, etc.)

  1. Close the gap between Now and your North Star role
    1. Now that you have identified where you have exceeded in your current role, let’s start looking at the next. What roles and responsibilities are needed for the next position? Are you already taking these on? Provide examples and the timeframe
  2. Prepare your North Star promotion expectation:
    1. Level set your job description and salary expectations by preparing your scale of desired outcomes:
      1. What you absolutely want
      2. What you will settle for
      3. What you will walk from 

We know it’s tough, but you made it this far. Get what you deserve 

  1. Schedule a conversation with your manager
    1. Regardless if your organization has a formal or not, schedule some time with your manager to go over your end of year review, career conversation, etc. however you may want to frame it, its best to let your boss know what the subject of the conversation entails.
  2. Have a candid conversation with your manager but first… listen
    1. Thank them for their time
    2. Address what you want, “ I would like to discuss next steps for my career” however you are comfortable with framing the conversation, wording should include “ career trajectory” and “ promotion opportunities” in the next ( insert your timeframe here)
    3. Listen to information they may have before diving into further details, they may have an update on the status of the business, etc.
    4. Go to the highlights of #1 and #2 from above, this is why behind your ask
    5. Hear them out
      1. If the answer is hopeful or yes: Congrats! Get the commitment of when the changes will take effect
      2. If the answer contains “no”, revisit:

“ I understand that this is a difficult time, and I appreciate you sharing the status of the business with me.  Can we commit to creating a plan to promotion and revisiting  our conversation in the next few weeks?”

  • This gives you some time: short-term you have a timeline and you are sticking to a plan, you have a plan for promotion; long-term you can plan your next move within the same company or externally. At the end of the day you have your North Star so you have some direction of where you want to be.

Ready to chart your North Star or need to take your career to the next level? Email us! Or visit us on social platforms: @thedatadame