Five ways to secure promotion
Want to make a good impression with your bosses? Here are five ways to show that you’re keen to stand out from the crowd
By Ernest Richardson
| In short, you want to send a signal that you’re keen to impress, without coming across as desperate. |
If you want to develop in your career, it pays to be noticed by your bosses. You want them to associate you with enthusiasm and positivity. You want them to identify you as someone who’s happy to muck in and work hard.
In short, you want to send a signal that you’re keen to impress, without coming across as desperate.
To help in that task, here are five ways that you can show your enthusiasm in the workplace. Follow them and you’ll be on the boss’s radar in no time at all – for all the right reasons.
1) Ask questions
One of the most effective ways of showing an interest in your job is to ask questions. Avoid stupid or obvious inquiries, which may be taken as a sign of ignorance.
Instead, ask questions that demonstrate a thirst for knowledge, or a desire to really master your job. Be interested in the work your colleagues carry out. That way, you’ll gain a reputation as someone who wants to understand the business. When the time comes to identify potential candidates for promotion, this will greatly enhance your chances.
2) Be willing to take on new stuff
It can be tempting to coast in a professional context. You concentrate on your own tasks and gradually become more adept at completing them as efficiently as possible.
But such an approach won’t help you draw the attention of your manager. Instead, you should show a willingness to take on additional responsibility, or diversify your role.
If volunteers are needed for a particular task or project, throw your hat in the ring. You don’t always have to be the first to step forward, but should always be prepared to take on new things.
3) Don’t take on more than you can handle
The caveat to all this is that you shouldn’t spread yourself too thin. If you believe taking on additional responsibility will make you less effective in your current role, then resist the urge.
Plenty of people have derailed their careers by taking on more than they can handle.
The result is never pretty, and won’t do your chances of promotion any good at all.
4) Be prepared to challenge, but don’t go overboard
Most managers are happy to be challenged by junior staff, provided the challenge is legitimate or well considered. Don’t go around shouting the odds just to make a name for yourself.
Instead, stand back from any situation, do your homework, and only speak out when you’re sure you have something worthwhile to say.
Chances are your bosses will respect your candour, and admire your willingness to risk upsetting the applecart. No one wants to manage a team of yes men and women. Choose your moment to show just what you’re made of.
5) Be assertive
If you’re keen to progress, you need to mention it. You could use your annual performance development review (PDR) for that purpose: it’s a chance to tell your boss where you’d like to go in the coming 12 months. Or you could simply ask for a one-on-one chat with your manager, making it clear that you’re in the market for a promotion.
The best advice for this conversation is to be humble. Don’t make it seem as if you expect a promotion. Ask what you need to do to achieve your ambitions, and ascertain the likely timescale.
Then work to those goals, secure in the knowledge that you can always slow things down if you don’t feel ready to step up.
Remember, your career is in your hands. Work hard, show willing, and make your own luck.
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Published: 21 August 2025
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