#1 Reason Mid-Career Professionals Can't Get that Promotion
Are you a mid-career professional trying to get a promotion? Are you getting passed over repeatedly? When you ask for feedback as to why the other candidate got the job, I bet you get answers like this from management:
“We chose someone with more experience in ___.”
“The other candidate had more knowledge about ____.”
“The candidate we chose had skills that were more aligned with the role.”
It’s frustrating to hear, isn’t it? The answers above are vague. Anyone on the receiving end of that type of feedback wants to say, “Give me an example,” or “Be more specific.” However, as someone who’s been part of hundreds of hiring processes, I can tell you that feedback like that is code for one thing: the other candidate did a better job of proving their value.
You’re A Business-of-One And Promotions Go To The Best ROI
When we reach the middle of our career, we expect better work and more pay. However, we often forget that to get those things, we must show we’re worth it. Asking companies to invest in us on a greater scale requires us to show how the return on the investment (aka ROI), will be more than worth it.
3 Things Must Be Showcased To Get A Shot At Promotion
In order to convey maximum ROI, you need to offer employers three things to prove your best work is yet to come - and they’ll be the lucky recipients of that added value! They are:
Why you love solving the problems and managing the headaches that come with the new job. Management gives promotions to people who make their lives easier. You need to show how you will minimize challenges and lighten their load - and do it gladly with a smile on your face.
How you have built a proven methodology for consistently delivering results on the job, and how you will use it in the new position. Management doesn’t want to have to train or coach you because they are too busy already. Show them you already have a system in place that you can tap into independently and they’ll know you’re capable of getting up to speed on your own.
What bigger problems you want to tackle for the company and how this job will enable you to achieve that goal. Management wants to give the promotion to the person that plans to not only solve the problems assigned to the job, but also sees other places where they can add value in the future so they can keep the momentum going.
Your Business-Of-One Needs To Prove It’s Got A Smart, Strategic Leader
As a business-of-one seeking a promotion, your employer is evaluating your ability to manage, develop and deliver maximum value. This requires you to be a savvy professional who understands the bigger picture and can see where you can maximize your efforts for the company. They don’t want to have to give you the answers because they expect you to figure it out - that’s what they’re paying for!
The next time you are up for a promotion, step back and think about how you can position your business-of-one as the best service provider. This will show management you are finally ready to go to the next level.
Disclosure: This post was written as part of the University of Phoenix Versus Program by J.T. O'Donnell. I’m a compensated contributor, but the thoughts and ideas are my own.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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