How to get promoted and acquire skills
You're ready to move on and up in the world, you're a successful HR professional, so securing that all-important promotion should be a breeze.
Audit your skills
A promotion may take you out of your comfort zone, expose you to new ways of working and business methodology that is new to you. To secure a better role you may find that you need to develop your skills. Don't delay; put an action plan in place now to close the gap.
As with all projects, kick off with a quick analysis of your strengths and weaknesses. Identify what skills and personal characteristics are required for the role you aspire to.
Take stock of your existing skills. An audit of your skills will help you focus on your most marketable assets, providing you with a business case to be taken seriously for promotion, and a short list of key skills that you need to develop in order to get there.
Sign up for mentoring
If you have identified a knowledge or skills gap, one way to build skills is to choose a mentor. If your company runs a mentoring scheme then it is well worth signing up. Mentoring is an invaluable one-to-one relationship with someone more experienced, providing you with help and advice throughout your career.
If your company does not run a mentoring scheme, then use your own networks to identify someone who you consider a role model in business, whom you get on well with on a personal and professional level.
Online or distance study
More practically, sign up to training courses and read appropriate management or professional books. As full time study is unlikely to be an option, consider online or distance learning, or evening classes.
Attend industry events and conferences; often you will pick up new ideas that you can apply in your own business from networking with other delegates and listening to case studies or workshops.
With a promotion, you may find you take on personnel responsibilities - if this is new to you, ask your organisation to provide training support. If your company does not provide this, journals such as Personnel Today provide useful tips and advice on managing people.
Promotion can be a political game, so it is important that you network hard, build allies within your organisation and make a real effort to take on additional responsibilities, attend more strategic work and put your hand up for project work that might take you outside of your normal remit.
Value added
For most people, a promotion is not a given, and a formal application or interview process will be the norm. As with any interview, preparation is key. You may be required to complete an application form, submit a business case or simply provide an updated CV.
Take time to produce an accurate and professional document that clearly demonstrates the value you have added to the department in your role to date, highlighting the skills you have developed which make you a suitable candidate.
At the interview, you’ve now got to convince your employer that your skills, experience and enthusiasm make you the perfect choice for promotion.
