Many of us go above and beyond in our roles every day, whether we’re completing minor tasks outside of our job descriptions or constantly taking on our superior’s work. But how do you turn this work into a more senior role when you’re ready to take the next step in your career?
We asked Lauren Kamasz, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist at Harrier Human Capital onsite at Coles, for four ways you can really show your boss you’re the perfect candidate for the job - because you’re already doing it!
- Build relationships with co-workers. Forming and maintaining relationships with your co-workers is key to demonstrating how you are going above your duties, and an important step in ultimately landing a more senior role.
“Get proactive in meetings and maintain those relationships,” Kamasz says. “By having these relationships formed already, you are demonstrating to the business that you are working in that higher capacity.”
You can then utilise these contacts to help yourself get the job. “Attend meetings and hold conversations to affirm your capability not only with the wider business, but with your manager.”
- Show how your promotion will benefit the team. It’s not just about you. When the opportunity arises to discuss your desire to take on more responsibility at work, mention to your boss the positive effects your promotion could have on the team as a whole.
“Promoting from within sends a great message to the team,” says Kamasz. “Hiring you into the role shows others that hard work and talent does get rewarded, which in turn boosts morale.”
You could also suggest that, if you were successful, you take on a mentoring role within the team to help build a talent pipeline. “This would show you have a broader perspective on personal development and staff engagement,” Kamasz says.
- Explain why you’re an efficient hire. You may have noticed the phrase “ability to hit the ground running” appearing in more hirers’ job ads on SEEK. That’s because the pace that many companies operate at nowadays increasingly requires candidates who can quickly integrate into the job.
“Recruiting and training someone external to the business can be time-consuming and costly,” says Kamasz. So your ability to quickly and seamlessly transition into the role due to having taken on senior responsibilities makes you an ideal candidate.
“Reaffirm your ability for the role and highlight the reduced time it would take for you to train and make an impact in the role.”
- Have solid goals and positive feedback ready to share. Above all else, communication is key. How is your manager going to know you want the job if you don’t tell them? Familiarise yourself with the key duties of the role that you want, then talk to your manager about your ambitions and set goals together to achieve them.
Kamasz recommends keeping track of your development and recording any positive feedback you receive from colleagues or stakeholders to demonstrate your capacity for the role.
“You want your manager to see you in that new role and you will need to be clear in your ability to support that. By having examples against the requirements of the role, you are demonstrating quite clearly that you have the skills and experience to take it on formally.”
“Reaffirm your ability for the role and highlight the reduced time it would take for you to train and make an impact in the role.”
