Is ‘getting promoted’ high on your career To-Do list this year? Having professional goals is important. It keeps us motivated and makes sure our productivity is high.
It’s easy to say, but earning a promotion requires intention. It doesn’t happen accidentally. Here are some tips to help you focus your efforts and make 2025 the year you reach new professional heights.
Here are our 5 tips to help you get a promotion in 2025.
Have a plan.
To have ambition is great, but just saying “I want a promotion” isn’t focused enough.
You need to ask yourself, “What is my end goal, and what steps must I take to get there?”
Each role within an organisation has a line of progression. Most often, this is vertical; a junior role leads to a senior role and so on.
But ‘promotion’ looks different for different people. No matter the job title or seniority level, a horizontal move is just as important if it takes you a step closer to your end goal.
You can target your efforts more effectively once you have identified your desired result. Identify who is doing your dream role in your organisation and look at the steps they took to get there. Research their LinkedIn profiles and the profiles of others doing the same job.
Not everyone walks the same path into the same role, so you may have more options than you think.
Your promotion plan should be flexible. You need to be prepared to change and shift with any opportunities presented to you.
Select a specialism.
A specialism can help you to become recognised for excellence within your organisation. Being the “go-to” person for something raises your profile and will help you stand out.
Deep learning and knowledge about a particular area, skill or practice will have a specific impact and makes any personal contributions more apparent.
Become AI savvy.
Talking of specialisms…AI would be a great one!
AI and its tools are critical across all areas of industry. No domain is untouched by these technologies.
Its relative newness and constant evolution mean it’s a perfect way to get ahead.
By being curious and investigating what waves AI is making across your sector, you’re in a great position to suggest how it can be implemented in your organisation. Be playful with it and experiment. Try out new tools to see if they can improve your own performance or productivity. The chances are that if it works for you, it’ll work for others.
Don’t know where to start? Nail the basics.
Start with learning how to prompt well. Play around with commands to AI tools, as the effectiveness of your questions will directly impact the usefulness of the information it offers.
Remember that being an SME means you have a 360-degree approach. With this in mind, challenge your own viewpoint and learn around a subject. Podcasts, tech conferences and experimenting with different tools and technologies will help you to expand your position.
Part of this is to connect with other experts – those who share your opinions and those who don’t. You won’t become any more of an expert from an echo chamber.
Get a mentor, coach or sponsor.
Once you have identified where you want to go, having the support of a mentor, coach, or even a sponsor will help create your plan and put it into action.
Having someone to support your learning, keep you accountable and help you make connections will be invaluable as you work towards your promotion.
This could be a senior colleague, somebody working in your desired field or even an outsourced service.
Your organisation may even have a mentorship programme that you can tap into. If not you may need to approach the ideal person yourself.
On the other hand, if your goal is to move into senior roles and you are looking for some hands-on leadership or coaching experience, you might like to offer yourself as a mentor to a junior colleague.
Teaching and coaching are perfect opportunities to solidify your knowledge, secure your SME position, help others and add a great skill to your CV.
Continuous Professional Development (CPD).
Perhaps the most critical tip, and the one that underpins all the others, is to keep learning!
Focusing on your own learning will be pivotal in making sure you achieve your promotion and career goals.
Taking courses, reading reliable and well-formulated journal publications, listening to podcasts, attending webinars, or in-person events are just a few ways you can invest in your own potential.
Take a look at your organisational benefits. You may find that you are allocated a budget (either financial or time) to invest in your learning. If you do, use it!
Lockdown forced employers to restructure benefits packages to attract the best candidates. This strange period made us all question what we value and what we look for in an employer. Hybrid working and professional development are at the top of our wish-lists in 2025. There are likely some L&D opportunities within your grasp.
The takeaways.
- Always be learning.
- Be intentional – promotion doesn’t happen by accident.
- Be flexible – a sideways step is sometimes an upwards step.
- Take advantage of every opportunity you are given to broaden your knowledge.
- Mentorship, coaching or sponsorship open doors. Connect with people that can help you.
- Be curious.
- Become a specialist in something. SME status will highlight your position and increase your reach within an organisation.
