Career Coach

There are so many people in corporations who have true talent but never seem to make it out of their little cubical. It is true some people do not aspire to be any more than their current role and actually refuse more responsibility. Early in my career I would have said to eliminate this part of the work force. The truth is these are the folks who make the business go everyday. In this post I want to focus on the person who wants to advance but is frustrated because he feels he is being passed up for other candidates.

If you work in corporate America you have certainly run across this person and they might sit beside you today. This is likely the same person you hear say, "I do not get paid enough to do this job." This is the same person who comes in right on time or late and never stays past 5. Yet when a promotional opportunity arises he is over looked. I am no advocating that you need to work 60 hours to be noticed in fact I would argue the person who is working 60 hours has time management issues. I am simply saying you can only expect to get what you are willing to put in. If you are sitting at the blackjack table and you are looking to triple your pot but you only play the minimum it is unlikely it will happen anytime soon. If you want to be promoted here are a couple of tips that will help you get to the next level:

• Tell your boss your career aspirations and others around you
• Control you career have a 1/3/5 year plan with specific goals you want to achieve
• Work with a mentor (preferably someone outside your group that you trust and will be brutally honest)
• Invest in yourself (education, 360 evaluations, networking)
• Ask about new roles and challenges and being willing to push yourself into an uncomfortable situation

Most times people never do any of the above yet wonder why they are still in the same role waiting for the tap on the shoulder. Sure shoulder taps still do happen but not as often as they used to. No one is going to own your career more than you and if you are expecting someone to you better plan on being in the same cube for a while. After all your manager probably owns her career and this is why she cannot own yours too.