Top 5 Mistakes You Should Avoid When Trying To Get A Promotion

By Lilian Wamaitha

Have you been working for long and feel that its time you got promoted?
Getting into a career means wanting to grow through the years and one of the ways of achieving career growth is through a promotion.

However, the hardest time comes when it’s time to ask for a promotion. For one you have no idea what your boss may think. Will he/she fire you? Will they think that you are too ambitious and not putting effort in what you do?

The thing is when you ask for a promotion, it means that you are putting yourself at risk.

You do however, have a right to grow in your career and that means approaching your boss for that awkward talk about a promotion.

“Promotions can go either way and as an employee, you have to make your timing right. Don’t ask for a promotion when the company is not doing well. Asses the company and the industry to know when you should ask for a promotion,” says Ms. Muthoni Ndegwa, a Recruitment Manager at Corporate Staffing Services.

Here are mistakes that most Kenyan professionals make when trying to get a promotion and which you should avoid as much as you can.

Must Read >>> 4 Instances To Say NO To a Job Promotion 

1. Asking for too much at once

Asking for a promotion, a raise and other privileges all at once does not register well with any employer. It will most likely frustrate him and you may end up being shown the door.

Instead, understand your priorities. What is more important to you right now? If it’s a salary raise go for it and later on you can ask for a promotion.

2. Believing that promotions are only based on merit

There are so many factors that warrant promotions and you being the exceptional employee does not automatically mean that you will be promoted.

The company could be going through economic turmoil and in as much as your boss wants to promote you, their hands are tied.

If you are mindful about your career, you need to move away from the belief that merit alone will get you that promotion. Analyze the culture in the organization and see the promotion trends in the past.

3. Ignoring long term goals

“Most of the time in case I have come across, you will find that employees are so much focused on getting a promotion that they neglect their entire career goals,” says Ms. Ndegwa.

Yes, you want a promotion but don’t let that be your main focus. Think about where you want your career to be 5 or ten years to come.

At the end of the day, a promotion or not, your career needs to come first.

Read Also >>> 3 Reasons Your Boss Might Say No To A Salary Raise 

4. Thinking that a promotion is the solution to everything

Promotion is a double edged sword. For some it works out perfectly but for others they end up regretting the promotion.

Most Kenyan professionals make the mistake of thinking that getting a promotion will fix everything – that it is the door to a happy life but it’s not. Sometimes remaining in that positron may be the best thing you do for your career.

5. Unrealistically aiming too high

Every organization has a hierarchy and everyone is expected to know their place. In order to get a promotion, some employees think that handling their supervisor’s duties instead of their own is the way to do it.

Trend your own lane, do your duties with diligence and then do a little more just to keep ahead of the competition.

Just because James Mworia moved from intern to CEO does mean that he used short cuts. He worked hard and that’s how he was able to stand out and be promoted.

When it comes to asking for a promotion, you have to be diligent in your work first. Know you timing as well as the company’s policy when asking for a promotion. Don’t be the kind of employee who bites the same hand that feeds them.

The writer is a Communications & Digital Marketer at Career Point Kenya. Got any career related queries? Leave them in the comment section below.