Can Your Job Function Influence a Promotion?

In an organization, there are differing criteria for who is promoted. For example, it may be based on seniority, or it could be for performance, but is there a third factor? LinkedIn believes so.

LinkedIn analyzed its users’ data to determine if certain job functions are promoted more frequently than their peers in other functions. Their findings were shocking. They indicated that the roles in Canada that are a fast track to advancement include:

1. Product Management
2. Marketing
3. Accounting
4. Human Resources
5. Program and Project Management
6. Finance
7. Business Development
8. Quality Assurance
9. Sales
10. Consulting

While it is interesting to review the data on which job functions receive promotions more frequently, it is not the chair you sit in that will move the needle forward when it comes to your career. It’s you.

Bud Bilanich, the author of Climbing the Corporate Ladder, said, “What people need to realize is that you don’t move up automatically. There needs to be a vacancy, and for that vacancy, there’s probably going to be several people equally as qualified as you who are competing for it. So you have to be able to find some way to stand out.”

If getting a promotion is one of your professional goals, here are six behaviors to adopt that will make your intentions known and help get you noticed.

How to get promoted at work?

1. Let your boss know you want to be promoted
2. Show your value
3. Be the go-to person
4. Continue to learn and improve
5. Be a team player
6. Demonstrate the skills you need for your next role

Let Your Boss Know You Want To Be Promoted

It is not enough to create your professional goals for the year and then store them on your desk, especially if you want a promotion. Not to mention, not everyone wants to be promoted, especially if it is in a people management role. For that reason, you need to share your ambitions with your boss.

Also, by sharing your intentions, your leader can help you craft a plan and seek out different opportunities such as stretch assignments or training to gain the skills you’ll need to succeed in a more senior role.

Show Your Value

One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received in my career was to show my value. It’s not enough to list the activities you’ve completed. Leaders want to see how you’ve made an impact on your department and organization.

For example, did you change a process, renegotiate a contract, or eliminate an expense that in turn saved the company money or time? Determine how much that savings are on an annual, 5, and 10 years basis for the company to show the real value of your effort. Showing your value in actual dollars and cents is a surefire way for leaders to take notice.

Be The Go-To Person

One way to get noticed and get ahead at work is to be the go-to person for a topic or activity in your organization. Becoming indispensable by possessing valuable knowledge and skills others rely on will make you known and gain the respect of your peers and leaders.

In addition, a big part of being a leader is passing on your knowledge and strengths to others. If you’re looking for a promotion to management, possessing vital skills is another way to do just that.

Continue to Learn and Improve

Hand in hand with being the go-to person is continually learning and improving, so you can be that subject matter expert in your organization. Your job function does not matter; the world is changing, and those who get promoted are continually learning, growing, and improving.

There is an abundance of information available, from following thought leaders on LinkedIn to subscribing to content feeds, watching videos, or attending training. As Warren Buffett famously said, “The more you learn, the more you earn.”

Be a Team Player

Collaboration and teamwork are at the core of successful companies. They are coveted skills because, unfortunately, not everyone acts in the same way. Hoarding resources and information and creating internal silos between departments and teams tend to be exacerbated as individuals move up the corporate ladder. If you can demonstrate these skills now, you’re sure to be considered when the time comes for promotion.

Demonstrate The Skills You Need For Your Next Role 

Much like the old (and dated) saying, “Dress for the job you want, not the one you have,” leaders need to visualize that you are ready for a promotion, and this can be done by demonstrating the skills you need for your next role today. This can be done by finding leadership opportunities such as a team meeting or a project if you’re looking to move into a people management role. Or take on a stretch assignment that embeds you in a project that aligns with your next promotion.