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The Promotion Playbook
How to Grow Your Career Without Feeling Stuck
Whether you are just starting up or aspiring to make another leap ensure that you are ready and your boss knows that
How come John, with fewer years of experience, is promoted quicker than Mark, who has been in the company even before John went to University and is doing so much heavy lifting? Why does Sarah get the most promising projects while Ben, proposing so many ideas, is still on the bench?
I have been there and asked similar questions, and sometimes, I felt that somebody was undeservingly getting ahead in their careers while I was doing my best and yet not receiving the due attention.
It took me some time to realize that careers never progress in straight lines, except in rare cases. And while in the most simplistic and fair world, the ones who do most of the work must be promoted, in real life it rarely works this way.
Think of your career as a product. Just like any product, it needs to be good. You must sell it to the right people at the right time and market it well. If any of the components is lacking, getting to the next level could be challenging. The sooner you crack what it takes to be promoted, the easier it will be.
