Eleven ways to progress at work and avoid a 'dry promotion'

There is nothing worse than feeling stuck in a job. Sow the seeds early and build to a promotion: nail your current role by meeting deadlines and targets, and be brave enough to push back if targets are unachievable. “You need to become the leader before you get the promotion,” says Tessa Grint, and a promotion should feel like the natural next step.

Your boss can be your best advocate, so ask what opportunities exist and keep them well informed, even with bad news. Visibility also matters: Elaine dela Cruz urges being “intentional and strategic about how you’re seen,” and suggests engaging in organisation events or extracurricular activities that suit you, especially if loud social environments don’t work.

Reframe self-promotion as practical communication rather than bragging. Dela Cruz admits “a lot of us get the ick,” but Grint advises the corporate approach of stakeholder management: tell the right people the right things at the right time — say what you did, why, what you’ll do next, and thank the team.

promotion, dry promotion, leader, stakeholder management, visibility, self promotion, deadlines, targets, tessa grint, dela cruz