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There are lots of reasons to think that a promotion will help your career progress. Most people assume that receiving a promotion is a sign of success and growth within a role. But promotions also come with additional considerations that may impact your work and your overall experience. Here are some serious questions to ask yourself to make sure you’re ready for the next stage of your career. 

What’s Your Why? 

Understanding why you want or think you need a promotion will help get your work needs clear in your head. Are you already doing the work of a next-level employee? Are you looking for more responsibility or a new challenge? Are you looking to move into a people management role? These are all good reasons to pursue a promotion at work. But if you are just looking for a pay bump, or to have a more prestigious title across the work you already do, a promotion might not be what you actually want. Make sure you know your why, and then seriously consider whether a promotion is the way to get what you want.  

Is now the right time? 

There are lots of opportunities for promotion, but when they come at inopportune moments, it can actually be the wrong move for your career. Consider the following. Have you learned all you can in your current role? Are you unchallenged by the work you’ve been doing and ready to seek additional complexity in the work? A promotion can help you achieve that. But if you’re still on your heels from time to time, learning new skills and exploring new experiences, a promotion might be more than you are ready for at this point in time. That doesn’t mean that in another 6 months’ time, you won’t be ready. Just make sure you have the skills you need to succeed in the new role before you dive in.  

Will the new role bring you joy?  

This is hard to guess sometimes, but a lot of professionals just assume that a promotion will make them feel more fulfilled in their role. That might not be true. With promotions often come additional responsibilities, complexity, and politics that can make a job more challenging and even less rewarding in some cases. If your current role is not fulfilling for you, it’s worth exploring what the next level looks like, but you should also know what you’re getting into before you dive in.  

Are you ready to take on a challenge? 

Often with a promotion comes an increase in workload and significantly more challenging work. Preparing for a promotion takes time, but once you do get it you can assume you’ll be working twice as hard to get up-to-speed and have a measurable impact on the work. Do you know you have the personal stability, energy, and mindset to pursue a more complex role? Many career experts suggest not taking on multiple life changes at the same time. If you recently became a parent, for example, it can be extra hard to take on a larger workload. If you recently moved, are you confident you have the resources to support yourself through a career transition as well? There are lots of reasons why a promotion can be best put on hold for the present time until you’re ready. But if you are confident that you have the support and the drive to nail the new job once you get it, then go for it if the opportunity arises.  

For more tips on how to grow within your career, connect with the team at ESGI today.  

 

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