How to Ask for a Promotion: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide

Asking for a promotion can be a nerve-wracking experience, but with the right approach and preparation, it can also be a rewarding opportunity for career growth. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about asking for a promotion, including when it’s appropriate to ask, examples of how to request a promotion and raise, and how long you should stay in a job without a promotion:

1. Is it OK to Ask for a Promotion?
2. Why You Should Ask for a Promotion
3. 7 Tips for Successfully Asking for a Promotion
4. Examples of How to Ask for a Promotion and Raise
5. How Long Should You Stay in a Job Without a Promotion?
6. FREE Preparation Checklist, Presentation Guide & Templates for Asking for a Promotion

Is it OK to Ask for a Promotion?

One of the most common questions professionals have early in their careers is whether asking for a promotion is appropriate. The short answer? Yes, it is absolutely OK to ask for a promotion. In fact, proactively discussing your career aspirations with your supervisor shows initiative and a commitment to your professional development.

However, timing is key. Before you ask for a promotion, assessing whether you’ve been in your current role long enough to demonstrate your value and readiness for advancement is essential. Consider factors such as your performance, work accomplishments, and the company’s current situation. If you believe you’ve made significant contributions and are ready for the next step in your career, it may be time to broach the topic with your supervisor.

Why You Should Ask for a Promotion

Many people go through their entire careers without asking for a promotion. Ideally, your company will recognize your value and offer you career advancement opportunities. However, in reality, it often doesn’t work this way. While you may not always get the promotion, especially the first time you ask, taking the initiative still puts you in a better position than if you’d never asked. Here are a few more reasons to ask for a promotion:

1. It demonstrates professional ownership. Proactively discussing your career showcases a sense of ownership and responsibility. It signals that you are invested in your professional development and committed to contributing meaningfully to the organization.
2. It builds confidence. By taking the lead in your career discussions, you build confidence in your abilities and ambitions. This self-assurance is often noticed by leadership and can also translate to other areas of your life.
3. It aligns your career path with your goals. Proactive conversations allow you and your superiors to align your individual goals with the broader objectives of the team and the organization.
4. It can cultivate support: When you express your ambitions openly, it becomes easier for your superiors to provide the necessary support and resources to help you achieve your goals. This collaborative approach strengthens the employer-employee relationship.
5. It increases your lifetime earning potential. As women, we earn $407,760 less than men on average over a 40-year career (and this doesn’t even take race and ethnicity into account!). So, the longer you wait for a raise, the more you’re setting yourself back even more.

7 Tips for Successfully Asking for a Promotion:

Asking for a promotion is so much more than making the ask. It requires reflection, preparation, and strategic thinking. Being intentional in your approach and preparing well for this conversation will go a long way toward increasing your chances of success.

1. Express Enthusiasm: Open the conversation by expressing your enthusiasm for your work and your desire to take on more responsibilities and challenges.
2. Begin by sharing your perspective on your current role, work accomplishments, and aspirations. This sets the stage for a mutual exchange of ideas and ensures that your boss understands your viewpoint.
3. Articulate Your Value: Clearly communicate why you believe you deserve a promotion. Emphasize how your skills, experience, and dedication align with the requirements of the next level position.
4. Propose a Plan: Outline your vision for your future role within the company and how you plan to continue adding value and driving results. Be prepared to discuss any additional training or development you may need to succeed in the new role.
5. Make it a Conversation, Not a Demand: From the start, express your desire for input and feedback and make an effort to pose open-ended questions. Ask directly if there are areas for improvement in your current performance or aspects of your plan that could be enhanced, and collaboratively set goals with your boss for your future career growth.
6. Demonstrate your commitment to understanding your boss’s viewpoint by actively listening. Paraphrase key points, ask clarifying questions, and show genuine interest in their input.
7. Be flexible in your approach and responsive to the direction of the conversation. If your boss provides suggestions or feedback, be open to exploring new ideas and adjusting your plan accordingly.

Examples of How to Ask for a Promotion and Raise

When it comes to asking for a promotion, how you approach the conversation can make all the difference. Here are a few examples of how to request a promotion and raise effectively:

Research potential titles and compensation ranges

Before approaching your boss for a conversation, you want to ensure that your request is reasonable. If a more senior role has responsibilities that you don’t, you’re either not ready to ask for that, or you need to make a plan with your boss to get you where you need to be to take on that kind of role. To determine what kind of ask you should be making, do some research first. Here are a few steps to get you started:

1. Make a list of all of your regular tasks and responsibilities.
2. Look at roles with titles that interest you or that are a more senior version of your role on job boards like LinkedIn.
3. Compare the listed responsibilities with your list of current responsibilities.
4. Look at a wide variety of job postings. This will allow you to get a better idea of how commonly that role aligns with your responsibilities.

It’s a good idea to create a list or spreadsheet of the roles you see to have a record. This will also help you gauge the appropriate compensation range for that role. While some roles may be outliers, the ranges you see most commonly are a fair place to start.

Schedule a Meeting

Once you know the ask you will be making, request a meeting with your supervisor to discuss your career growth. How you approach this conversation and when depends on your work culture and relationship with your boss. However, choosing an appropriate time and setting a positive tone for a constructive conversation is always important. You never want to sound like you’re making a demand of your boss.

To help you start this conversation with your boss, our FREE guide to asking for a promotion includes 4 email templates and 4 scripts for how to ask for a promotion. This way, you never have to stress about how you’re going to bring it up.

Prepare a presentation that covers your accomplishments, goals, and title

Once you’ve asked your boss for that conversation, you need to be prepared. This means not only knowing what title you want but also having proof of how hard you’ve been working and what you’ve accomplished to back it up. It’s also a great idea to show your boss how you want to continue growing into your new role with professional goals you have set for the future. Our ultimate guide to asking for a promotion includes a preparation checklist and a breakdown of what you need to include on every slide of your presentation to wow your boss and get that promotion.

Remember to approach the conversation with confidence and professionalism. Be open to feedback and be prepared to discuss next steps if your supervisor needs time to consider your request.

How Long Should You Stay in a Job Without a Promotion?

The answer to this question can vary depending on various factors, including your industry, company culture, and individual career goals. However, if you’re promised one and then didn’t get the promotion, were passed over for a role you’re qualified for without good justification or are consistently denied promotions that you deserve, it might be time to look for a job at a company that values your skills and effort more.

While there’s no set timeframe for how long you should stay in a job without a promotion, it’s essential to regularly assess your career trajectory and evaluate whether you’re still growing and progressing in your current role. If you feel that you’ve reached a plateau and aren’t being given opportunities to advance, it may be time to have a conversation with your supervisor about your career aspirations and the possibility of a promotion or begin seeking a new opportunity that will allow you to grow.

Ultimately, the decision to ask for a promotion is a personal one. By approaching the conversation thoughtfully and strategically, you can increase your chances of securing the promotion you deserve. Our guide aims to help you enter that conversation prepared so you can exit with the guarantee of a promotion.