Employees that are finding themselves stuck in a position at work that they are unable to progress from may find that there are some different things that they can do to move up. It could just be a need to tweak your image or make your resume more impressive. If you are not doing the below things, then ask yourself why and if it could be what is holding you back from that big promotion you want.
1. Widening your network
Are you a lone worker and happy to keep to yourself in the office? If so, this might be what is holding you back from moving higher in the ranks. The staff that engages with other members of the workforce and partners are always going to be more favorable because they are more recognized. It is important to show that you are interested in the work of others and knowledgeable about a wider scope of work than just your specific role. There are lots of tools that you can use to improve this; getting involved with work-organized activities for staff; volunteering for group projects; following up on existing relationships, and getting involved in current conversations on sites like LinkedIn.
2. Upgrading your appearance
Unfortunately, your appearance at work still has a significant impact on people’s views of you and their decisions to trust you in important roles. With the view of ‘if you do not care about yourself, how can you care about the work.’ While this is not necessarily accurate, it is a common thought amongst hiring managers. It may be that you do not look too shabby, but your aim should be to dress to impress. You should take particular care over the finer details of your appearance to make a particularly good impression.
3. Expanding your learning
Do you have all the qualifications and skills needed for your ideal role? If you do not, then you should think about going back to learning to make sure that you are ready when the opportunity presents itself. Many organizations will even support you in doing this financially and through time off work if you discuss it with them in advance and your wishes to develop. Otherwise, there are plenty of affordable and flexible online options. For example, for nursing, there are RN to MSN online programs available that offer regular nurses the chance to study in their spare time to become qualified for management or teaching.
4. Bringing forward solutions
Finally, organizations only want their people at the top to be positive, energetic, and loyal. If you are constantly pointing out things that are wrong in the workplace but not bringing forward solutions, it will not look favorable for you. You need to act as a cheerleader for the company and provide new and exciting ideas to support the success of the company and present them in a positive and proactive manner to your superiors, in good timing. This will take some practice, but a good method is to write down your thoughts when they come to you about an issue and consider solutions privately until you have a good opportunity to ‘save the day.’
