03.04.2025
INTRODUCING YOURSELF? IT'S NOT ASHAMED, IT LEADS TO SUCCESS BY DOING IT IN 3 SMART WAYS
There is no 100% guaranteed way to advance in your career, there is always a stumbling block. But there is one sure way to not advance - to sit meekly and wait to be noticed.
This is highly typical of 40+ people raised under socialism from childhood. Modesty beautifies a man, but laziness threatens him, it was written in the classrooms. The second part of the slogan is true, but the first is not. It's not about bragging, it's about boldly declaring "I can" and "I want".
You are not new to the profession, you have gained experience, you are excellent at your tasks. You have the ability and desire for more. Well, claim them - offer yourself to take on the next task, the performance of which raises you to a higher level of competence.
There's no shame in asking for it to prove you can pull it off like a brilliant pro. You're not being immodest, you're going to get the job done. Yes, your goal is to be noticed and appreciated by the boss. But this is a completely normal and legitimate desire of any employee who wants to develop his skills and advance in his career.
However, there are tricks to successful self-promotion.
The first is horizontal scrolling. This means that you should not directly desire the boss's chair if you are 3-4 levels below him in the company's hierarchy.
First desire your neighbor's work. I.e. offer yourself to do something within your team that will distinguish you as a specialist with the qualities to take on new responsibilities. State that you will relieve an overburdened colleague. Or if he is absent, immediately tell the boss that you will take his job.
At the same time, do not open a word about money. Your goal is to shine, not win. But remember that you need to make everything visible enough for the eyes of the boss. You have no use for him to breathe a sigh of relief that someone has taken over and forget who that someone is.
Another trick to moving horizontally is to pay close attention to what new assignments are coming up and let your manager know that you want to take on one before it's even time to assign them. Motivate yourself as to why you are offering yourself - because your project is interesting. And immediately explain how your experience and abilities will help to realize it. Activity and enthusiasm always make a good impression, so the boss will not refuse you.
When you successfully complete a few such horizontal tasks, vertical advancement will not be long in coming because it will be clear that you have the qualifications and skills to handle more responsibilities than are included in your current job description.
It's a little trickier to offer to help the boss himself. This is a vertical maneuver that you perform from a standing position. Everyone needs something, no matter how good a professional they are. And if you are able to provide it to them, they will pay attention to your abilities.
There is no question, of course, of giving him a massage when he has a headache. But you might, for example, prepare a report to facilitate its presentation to clients. Or gather information for him about a company you are going to meet with. Or write a message about something your team is doing on the corporate site.
Anything you can do to ease your overworked boss or give him a chance to impress higher ups will be appreciated.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with directly applying for a higher position when there is a vacancy. In many companies, managers prefer to promote insiders rather than train newcomers from the outside. But that doesn't mean they don't advertise the vacancy on popular job search sites. It's understandable - they want to see all possible candidates.
Make it clear that you are among them, without feeling offended that it was only right that the bosses noticed your qualities and offered you the position themselves. Yes, it's fine, but it does you no good to sulk and be modest.
Allow yourself the right to be angry if you are rejected. Then it is already worth thinking about whether you are evaluated correctly, what are your chances in this company and whether it would be better to start looking for a place in another company. But think honestly, answering the questions of whether you deserve the place you were denied and why you deserve it. If you're convinced they've treated you unfairly, there's nothing holding you back with these bosses.
Don't hesitate to take advantage of any advanced training the company offers. This is a very clear sign to any manager that you have ambitions.
Career development experts advise that you find a convenient opportunity and state in plain text to your boss that you want to take on more responsibilities and that your goal is to get a higher position. You can ask him what your chances are and what he thinks you should do to increase them.
If you still think all of this is immodest, remember that all-too-common job interview question - "Where do you think you should be in 10 years". Well, tell your boss where you think you should end up now that you've practically proven what you're capable of.
