The Pathstream Guide to Getting Promoted

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Pathstream

4 min readFeb 16, 2021

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When you gain new skills, you set yourself up for professional advancement. Once you have earned a Pathstream certificate, you are well-positioned to take on new roles and responsibilities at your company.

We’ve put together the following steps and resource list to help you achieve new opportunities internally including getting a raise or promotion. Here are some tips and tactics to set yourself up for success.

Step 1: Set Clear Professional Goals

Position yourself for advancement at work by formulating clear goals that you and your manager agree on. In his article, “How to Get Promoted at Work,” author Barry D. Moore recommends using this framework to achieve your professional ambitions:

Know the outcome: Come up with a clear outcome you want to drive, such as increased sales, a better customer satisfaction rating, a target number of new products developed, or a number of projects completed.
Measure the outcome: Then, figure out how you will quantify your results. For, example: are you going for a 10% increase in sales? 2-point shift on customer satisfaction? or the development of 3 new products? Be as specific as possible.
Know the timeline: Make sure you set a clear and realistic timeline for accomplishing these objectives. For example: are you driving towards a 10% increase in sales in 6 months or a 2 points on customer satisfaction in 12 months? Again, get as specific and realistic as possible.

If these goals are crystal clear to you and your boss, then you need to deliver on those goals in a timely manner. Once you achieve those goals, it is much easier to have a conversation about being promoted.

Step 2: Be a Team Player

Almost all managers want employees who they can count who is willing to jump in to help out when they recognize a colleague is struggling.

Cultivate great relationships and become someone who is seen as a reliable leader. As Erica Keswin, a business strategist, told Business Insider, “Showing you’re a team player and ‘broadening your reach within an organization’ helps showcase your company loyalty.” Lifting up others shows that you are an asset not only to your team but to the whole company as a whole.

Step 3: Make Yourself Irreplaceable

“Making yourself irreplaceable” can sound vague. However, it is simple: if you want to be promoted then you should aim to make your boss’s job easier. You should aim to take on more responsibility and volunteer to do things that could take some weight off your boss’s shoulders. Get familiar with your manager’s schedule and the types of tasks that he or she performs on a daily basis. Identify which ones you might be well-positioned to help with and then volunteer to take them on. The sooner you start taking responsibilities off of your manager’s plate, the sooner they will start to recognize you as a candidate for a promotion.

Step 4: Keep Being Curious

Take some time out of your day to read about the industry and think critically about your work. Do not hesitate to ask your boss questions about the broader company and business. This will show you are invested in the growth and success of the company. Continue to ask questions and be curious! This will help them see that you are ready to grow beyond your current role and take on new challenges.

Step 5: Find Mentors and Network With the Right People

People often think of networking as something you do outside of your company. However, connecting and getting to know the right people internally is crucial. If you surround yourself with the right people you can often identify new opportunities and gain knowledge that can help you advance.

Mentors are also key to being successful. Find someone who is experienced within your company and willing to provide you with honest feedback and advice. If you find a great mentor, they can become a champion for your advancement internally.

Step 6: Let People Know That You Have a New Skill Set

If you invest time and energy in gaining new skills, you should make sure your manager and colleagues are aware of your new abilities. After you earn a Pathstream certificate, share some of the projects you completed with your boss and signal that you are willing to take on more responsibilities. Utilize what you have learned to become an even stronger asset to your company and your team. Hopefully a raise or promotion will follow!

Further Resources

If you are interested in learning about how a certificate could help you in your journey towards a promotion, learn more about Pathstream certificates here!

The Pathstream Guide to Getting Promoted

Written by Anthony So