Achieving success in any career takes time, hard work and dedication, but sometimes there are other factors that can cause your progress to stall and
Achieving success in any career takes time, hard work and dedication, but sometimes there are other factors that can cause your progress to stall and limit your opportunities for personal growth.
If you’re an ambitious team member who’s struggling to get ahead, here are some of the reasons why and a selection of tips on how you can earn the promotions you need to achieve your dream position.
You Haven’t Made Your Intentions Clear
In some cases, you may be being overlooked for promotions simply because you haven’t made it clear that you want to take on more responsibilities and become more senior. Your boss may think that you’re happy in your current role, in which case they may be hiring externally or promoting other team members instead of you.
How You Can Overcome This Challenge
It’s important that you make it clear what you want from your role from the beginning. Sit down with your boss during your employee appraisal and make it clear that you want to progress in your role. Talk to them about what you need to do to achieve the position you want so that they’re clear on what you’re looking for from your career.
You Don’t Have The Skills For A More Senior Position
Many senior roles require a number of different skills and qualities, and if you don’t have them then you’ll find yourself unable to progress. The skills you need might not even be related to the role you currently do; for example, managers may need to have knowledge of website coding, data management and other technical abilities in order to be able to carry out their duties.
How You Can Overcome This Challenge
The best way to deal with a lack of skills is to ascertain what you need to know and then gain these skills. Speak to your manager or senior team member and find out what you need to know. When you’ve done that, communicate with them and decide if you need any qualifications, and if so if they’ll help you to earn them. If you find yourself without support from your organisation, then work with a tutor to achieve the skills you need to grow in your role and earn the title and respect you deserve. If you’re on the hunt for a personal tutor, Superprof is the perfect starting place as they help people all over the country to improve their skills.
You Aren’t Demonstrating Leadership Skills
Managers who are looking for an employee to promote will be seeking someone who’s shown themselves to be a natural leader, even when you’re working in more junior positions. If you’re not showing yourself to be a supportive team member who’s capable of taking on a leadership role then you’ll struggle to get promoted.
How You Can Overcome This Challenge
Show yourself to be a strong leader and highlight your best qualities throughout your career. Whenever your boss has a heavy workload, or leaves the office, take the initiative and try to be supportive so that they can see how worthy you are of a leadership role. They’ll start to rely on you and ask you for help, and this is a sign that you’re on the road towards a better position in your company.
You Don’t Have The Support Of Your Team
Good leaders need the support of their team, so if your colleagues don’t value and respect you then your boss will not consider you for a promotion. You don’t have to be friends with your co-workers, but it is important that they respect you and acknowledge that you’re a valued team member who deserves to progress.
How You Can Overcome This Challenge
Respect can be hard to earn, but it’s not impossible. The best way to earn your colleague’s respect is to work hard and prove to them that you have the skills to support your team and the business you’re all working in.
You’re Not Doing The Best Job You Can
If your work is not of a high standard, then you won’t show yourself to be a good employee who’s worth promoting. It’s important that you have a portfolio of great quality work that is an asset to your organisation, so that you can show yourself to be a dedicated and skilled member of your team.
How You Can Overcome This Challenge
You need to focus on your work rather than simply trying to accumulate power and responsibilities. If you put your energy into your work, then your boss will notice your dedication and be inclined to consider you when they come to search for a new senior member of staff.
You Don’t Hit Your Targets
Every business has targets, and these are usually shared with employees, who will be given individual goals to work towards. If you’re not achieving yours then you won’t be able to progress in your work.
How You Can Overcome This Challenge
The fact that you’re not hitting your target may be down to a number of different factors, so when you notice that you’re not reaching your goals you should immediately try to understand the reason behind this and adapt your approach and working methods accordingly. A proactive approach will ensure that a slight issue doesn’t become a long-term problem that prevents you from achieving your personal career aims.
You Aren’t As Professional As Other Senior Team Members
Standing out from the crowd is important when trying to earn yourself a promotion, but you also need to show your boss that you’re able to fit in with senior staff, and this means being professional. If you dress sloppily, arrive late and frequently behave in an unprofessional way then they won’t consider you for a promotion, as they won’t believe that you are able to behave in the manner expected of senior staff.
How You Can Overcome This Challenge
It’s important that, even when you’re in a junior role, you behave with professionalism and show your boss that you’re capable of acting the way they expect of more senior members of staff. It’s no use thinking that you’ll change your ways once you earn your promotion: you need to set a good first impression and make it clear that you’re committed to rising through the ranks.
Your Boss Isn’t Supportive
It’s easy to blame other people when your career isn’t progressing as you would hope, but in some cases the problem could be exacerbated or even caused by a toxic or unsupportive boss. You need to assess whether or not your boss is actually being unsupportive before you decide to take any action.
How You Can Overcome This Challenge
The best way to deal with an unsupportive boss is to tackle the issue head-on, either by discussing it with your boss directly or, if you feel it necessary, by going over their head and talking to someone more senior about the issues you’re having. If you find that your issues with your boss go deeper, and are in fact symptomatic of a toxic culture in your workplace, then the best choice is to leave and seek out a role in an organisation that will appreciate you and help you to achieve your personal and professional goals.
Earning top positions in any industry and company takes time and perseverance, so be prepared to invest time and energy into your career. These tips should help you to overcome any challenges you may face and achieve the career progression you desire.
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