No one likes standing still when it comes to their career. If you’ve been fulfilling the same role for over a year without any additional responsibility or additional income – you’ve hit a roadblock.

Don’t sit around and wait for your employer to notice that you deserve a promotion, prove it to them.

We’ve developed a 5-step process to follow in order to get that promotion. If you’re not willing to put in the effort and take the initiative to achieve the promotion, then you really don’t deserve it at all.

1. Show that you want it

The number one way to tell your boss that you are interested in advancing your career, is by literally telling them that you are interested in advancing your career.

Ask for their guidance and advice on areas where you can improve, and areas where you can take on additional responsibility in order to prove your worth.

They can’t read your mind, so the best way to make yourself stand out from the rest of your colleagues is to outwardly express your interest and hard work.

Seeking advice from superiors on ways that you can improve shows that you are humble, and understand that your learning curve will never stop. These are great traits in an employee.

2. Put in work

If you are looking to advance your career, the notion of a “Nine to Five” job does not exist for you. A great way to show your boss that you are serious about your job, is by putting in extra hours.

This is especially important if members of the management team consistently work more than eight hours daily. If that is what’s expected of the management team, then you will show them that you fit the part.

Even if management doesn’t put in extra hours, if you show that you are willing to put in the extra effort to work ahead or to keep projects on schedule, this will be an added benefit in your skillset. Your commitment to the team and the company’s success will shine through.

3. Bring new ideas to the table

Review your daily tasks and responsibilities. Is there a certain task that takes longer than it should? Can you implement a process to increase the efficiency of that task? Your answer should be YES!

There is always a better and more efficient way to complete a task, so it’s your job to find it.

Notify your boss that you’d like to improve processes in order to increase efficiency within the department, and they will automatically be impressed.

However, make sure you do your research. Ensure that these processes can be improved in a cost-sensitive manner, in order to receive approval. Improving processes may not be in your job description, and that means you are going above and beyond to benefit the company.

4. Become a go-to resource

If you’ve been in the same role for over a year, you should be an expert in your daily tasks. You should know the programs inside and out, and you should know how to resolve problems when they occur.

These are the qualities you need to become a go-to resource within your team; all you need to do now is begin offering your help and advice.

When team members are experiencing difficulty resolving errors or are unsure on how to handle specific situations, jump in and offer to help. You will soon be regarded as a helpful resource and a great team player.

This display of your skills and knowledge may even lead you into a training role when new candidates are hired. You have now added value within the team, and created a compelling argument to explain why a promotion or raise is in order.

5. Review your performance with your boss

We’ve come full circle and come back to a step that is very similar to step one. Step one explained that you should tell your boss that you are interested in career advancement and seek guidance on how you can get there.

In the meantime you worked longer hours, brought new ideas to the table, improved processes and became a go-to resource within the team; now it’s time to have a follow-up meeting with your boss.

Come prepared with notes and examples of the improvements you’ve made within yourself and within the team. You have to bring proof that you deserve a promotion or a raise. You must also express why you are seeking additional responsibility and why you will succeed within an advanced role.

Follow these steps successfully, and you will surpass that roadblock in your career path. This isn’t the end though; you have to keep up all of that hard work because in a year’s time, it will probably be happening all over again.


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