What to Ask When You Dont Get a Promotion - The Muse

What to Ask When You Dont Get a Promotion - The MuseWhat to Ask When You Dont Get a Promotion It sucks when you get passed over for a promotion. And it sucks even more when it keeps happening every single review cycle. All kinds of thoughts probably cross your mind. You might wonder if youre elend good enough. You might wonder if youre not valued. And then, you might wonder who you should blame for your lack of growth. But before you abflug pointing fingers, here are a few tough questions you should ask yourself. 1. Are You Going Above and Beyond- or Are You Just Doing Whats Asked?If youre doing everything your anfhrer assigns you, thats great. If youre doing those things well, thats even better. But lets be honest Thats the bare minimum you need to do to stay employed. People who go above and beyond identify problems before their managers give them assignments, take initiative to find solutions, and tackle projects no one else wants to take on. So, take a closer look at your recent work and ask yourself if you can identify problems youve both identified and helped to resolve.If You Cant Identify AnythingThink of ways that your promoted teammates took initiative. The ways they went above and beyond are a blueprint for you to land a promotion in the future. If youre stuck, Muse writer Katie Douthwaite White recommends these four basic steps putting feedback into action, anticipating needs, bringing ideas to the table, and going out of your way.But, If You Are Going Above and BeyondIf you felt you were bringing something extra to the table, ask yourself if its possible your manager didnt realize it. After all, even the best bosses arent mind readers and if its not directly impacting your work in a way she can see, then she might truly have no idea. (And for more on how to brag without feeling like a jerk, read this.)2. Was There Definitely a Promotion on the Table?Whats one of the reasons youre seeking out a promotion? If youre like most people, its a salary bump . But whats your current companys situation? If the business is struggling or your team has maxed out its budget, there simply might not be any cash left to give you that raise youre looking for.If There IsntYou can ask your boss for other perks. Maybe your job title doesnt reflect the work youre currently doing. Maybe you want to take on new projects. Identify what you want to change (other than your salary) and talk to your boss about it. Then, when the budget resets, youll be able to discuss adjusting your pay to reflect your new responsibilities.If There IsHave a heart-to-heart with your boss about your frustration, but also ask for honest feedback about why you didnt get promoted. Of course, this is way easier said than done. So use this email template to get the conversation started.3. Is the Promotion You Want Actually a Fit for You?Look at the job description for the role youre disappointed you didnt get. Then, compare it to your current career goals. Did this job help you t ake another step toward what you want? Or were you just chasing a more senior title and a bigger paycheck?If it IsAsk yourself a tough question Does your boss know that this is what you want? If not, remember Shes not a mind reader. Of course this conversation is much more complicated than saying, I want this so much. Instead, make the discussion more productive with this game plan. If it IsntThats OK You dont need to rush a promotion if its not on the track you want Instead, take a step back and figure out what you really want. Then itll be much clear what your next move should be. When you feel you deserve a promotion, its hard to be passed over for it. But by being honest about what you can improve, what youve done to earn it, and what you want, youre putting yourself on track to land it sooner than you think. With that said, you might have noticed a pattern here, and its to keep your boss in the loop. After all, if you want her help to get ahead, you need to tell her what youre looking for. More importantly, you need her honest feedback to understand how to land the job that you want. Now get out there and have an honest conversation