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How to climb the career ladder

Joe Slavin, Managing Director of Monster.co.uk, shares his top tips on how to climb the career ladder and achieve that promotion that you deserve.

Be enthusiastic: Showing interest and being helpful not only to your supervisors, but also to your peers is crucial, after all everyone will contribute to your feedback. That is why it is important you are approachable; you volunteer for things and make yourself stand out so that if an opportunity arises you are the first person your boss thinks of.

Communicate your aspirations: In increasingly competitive working environments, if you don’t ask you don’t get. Talk to your supervisor and together agree on a plan of action to help you reach the next level, and make sure your supervisor gives you a clear idea of the specific goals you need to reach within a given time scale.

Cover all grounds: Make sure that when your next review comes up you are already performing at the level above and you have achieved all those objectives you agreed on with your supervisor during your previous review. This will demonstrate that you are already performing at a higher level and you are ready to take on new challenges.

Talk the talk: Subtly convey to key decision-makers that you have your finger on the pulse - read the industry trade magazines to familiarise yourself with the industry you work in and its latest news.

Identify a role model: Looking the part is half way to playing the part. Pay close attention to those in higher positions; notice how they work, act and react to challenging situations and try to emulate them without noticeably becoming their clone.

Be patient, but confident: These days, you often have to be actively fulfilling the role above for a period of time before you actually get the promotion. Bide your time rather than stamping your feet, and your efforts will gradually pay off. But remember to be confident when you ask for that promotion, if you don’t believe you deserve it, who will?