Is it too early to ask for a promotion - Viewpoint - careers advice blog Viewpoint careers advice blog

Is it too early to ask for a promotion - Viewpoint - careers advice blog So, youve been in your current role for a year, and youre starting to feel like youre ready for a new challenge. The only problem is, youre not sure if its too early to ask for a promotion. The answer to this isn’t black and white, because there isn’t a set time frame before you can ask for a promotion. After all, promotions should link to your performance, not length of tenure, and every new starter will perform differently. No, the answer to this question requires you to carefully assess whether you are ready for a promotion. So how can you make this judgement call? Stop and reassess â€" are you really ready? Before you ask for a promotion, check you truly are ready. After all, you have only been in your role for a year, and there may be areas of your current position which you are yet to master. Revisit your job description and check you are fully competent in each area. I would strongly advise that you also reflect on any feedback your boss gave you in your annual review and any other more regular check-ins that you have. Next, ask yourself if you are mentally prepared. You only joined a year ago, and settling into a new environment can take up to six months and sometimes longer â€" are you really ready for more change? Consider the extra responsibility, the changes in work routine, and the people you will need to interact with on a daily basis, such as more senior stakeholders. Are you comfortable with this? At this point, you may feel out of your depth, and that you are still getting to grips with your new role. This is fine, and you simply need more time to find your feet. On the other hand, you may feel up to the challenge, because right now you aren’t being pushed to your full potential. If so then get ready to ask for what you want. Does your boss think you’re ready? As youve been with the company a year, you will have hopefully built up a good relationship with your boss, one in which you feel comfortable sharing your future career ambitions and aspirations. Therefore I would advise meeting with your boss one-on-one to clearly communicate your ambitions, but remember to be both tactful and professional, after all you dont want your manager to think youre presumptuous, entitled or already disengaged with your current role. State that you have fully enjoyed getting to grips with your job , but that you feel that you are now ready for the next challenge. Give your reasons, and ask them for their thoughts and feedback. Your organisation should have a clear career progression policy in place. This outlines what you’ll need to achieve to be considered promotion-ready. Your boss will likely identify skills gaps you need to overcome in order to qualify for promotion. Stretch opportunities are a good way to develop these skills on-the-job, so volunteer for relevant tasks or projects. As my colleague Adam Shapley wrote in this blog, when looking for stretch opportunities, start small with work that takes you out of your comfort zone but not out of your depth. Once you successfully deliver on smaller tasks, you can then take on bigger challenges and your manager will start to call on you for increasingly demanding work. Finally, set some timeframes, a date to review your progress so far, and keep your boss looped in with your development in the meantime. Ideally you’ll walk out of this discussion feeling motivated and ready for the next step. Turn your ambition into action Now it’s time to put your money where your mouth is. Firstly, your days are about to become a lot busier as you begin taking on stretch opportunities on top of your existing responsibilities. Effective time management and organisation is key if you want to avoid falling behind; from setting a clear deadline for every task, to planning the next day’s to-do list the night before. You can read more of our productivity advice here. Secondly, remember to maintain your work/life balance when working towards this promotion. Yes you have goals to achieve, but you won’t get there if you run yourself into the ground, and it is essential for everyone, regardless of seniority, to switch off and recharge their batteries. Try to leave the office on time, don’t check work emails late into the night, and ensure you have plenty of downtime in the evenings and weekends. Lastly, record your progress. As you start working towards goals, track these and any measurable results, and have regular one-on-ones with your boss to relay this information, asking for their support or feedback where necessary. I will also add that a mentor can be of great value when trying to reach that next level of your career. This should be somebody other than your boss, someone credible and senior to you, who can objectively advise you as you strive towards success. I will also add that you shouldn’t lose heart if you are met with a “no” when it comes to asking for that promotion. Use this as an opportunity to further self-improve, and get some feedback which pinpoints exactly why you weren’t successful this time round. Remember, a promotion is based on merit not tenure, and just because you have only been in your role for a year, doesn’t mean that you can’t ask for a promotion. However I will reiterate that by matching your ambition with a realistic view of what you must achieve, you’ll set yourself up with a stronger chance of reaching your career aspirations. Good luck. Want to progress in your career? Our career progression tips will help you get to where you want to be How to get that people manager job, despite your lack of expereince Still waiting for that promotion? Here’s your action plan Want to be a manager? Here’s how your potential will be assessed No pay rise? Heres what to ask for instead