Nearly every organization be it political, private or public sector, military or non-profit promotes from within, with some variations, i.e. you worked on Capitol Hill, Legislature or other senior federal position, but all in all its a groom from within culture. Some of this has to do with the 800 pound gorilla in the room.
So how do I get promoted to more responsibilities?
It means that you must show initiative, work smart, improve the organization and demonstrate the capacity to lead & work w/ teams, oversee budgets, manage people, and through your ideas bring more business in or serve more people– but it means you have to have something to show for. If no one knows what you do or what your capable of turn it around and demonstrate that your capable of doing more.
That said, nearly every organization promotes from within. That’s a good thing. That’s where you come in. If your goal is to be president, director, manager, operations officer, general officer, etc it’s incumbent upon you that you learn the ropes on what makes the organization tick, what makes it go, who are its customers/clients & how can you serve them more effectively, how can you broaden that reach. That’s not all. Every organization is broken up into departments, units, sections etc and in each of them requires certain skill sets, schooling, licenses, education/mastery certificates, etc. Don’t sit around. Master your area, refine your skill sets and be ready for promotion before being asked.
In the military its been said it takes 20-yrs to groom a newly minted second lieutenant into a general officer responsible for running the army. But you can’t get there without the right schooling, increased responsibilities etc. Its often said that it takes 10,000 hours to master anything. Have an accent? Don’t think with an accent.
Often, you’ll hear, “we promote from within.” Be confident. Be proud of your accomplishments. Dust yourself off from the last one. Explain to your hiring manager any breaks in your resume–already employed–then execute. Remember it starts by having a drive.
– David Molina is the Founder and CEO of BilingualHire, a bilingual (Spanish/English) staffing company and is on Twitter
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