Ladder to Promotion: 4 tips to get ahead in any industry

By Dr Jemma Regan

I have had 44 different paid jobs in my life. I counted.

I have observed – across many different industries – what distinguishes those who rise to the top of the career ladder from those who stay stuck on the lower rungs. It’s not about how long you’ve worked for a company. I’ve learnt a thing or two about relationships in business. It’s not about charming the boss.

I held roles as diverse as a toilet cleaner to my current position as a university lecturer and life consultant. Some of the industries I have worked in are: academia, accountancy, administration, advertising, architects, broadcasting, catering, charity, cleaning, construction consultancy, cosmetic surgery, finance, fundraising, modelling (hand), media, photography, pub, restaurant.

As a result of my working class upbringing, my mother installed an iron work ethic in me from an early age. At age 7, I honed my early business and entrepreneurial skills by upselling penny sweets from the corner shop to local children and became a shrewd car boot sale negotiator. At age 13, I had a paper round and babysat for 4 different families. At age 15, I worked 2 evenings a week as a telemarketer and Saturdays at a sandwich shop. I juggled studies and temporary work my whole life and still got top academic grades.

Here are 4 top tips to climbing the career ladder to promotion:

- Respect everyone (especially yourself!) – Listen rather than speak. Don’t look ‘down’ at people but equally don’t look ‘up’. Recognise the humanity in all and say ‘hello, how are you?’ Be pleasant to all within the company and treat everyone with equal respect. React with sincerity. Don’t sneer at the receptionist or the morning cleaner.

- Don’t fear the head of department or the CEO. This demonstrates confidence in your own abilities - without arrogance - but shows you are not easily intimidated. The charm offensive will only get you so far. Really listen to what people say and don’t be tempted to talk over them. Channel envy toward colleagues in to admiration. Learn from, rather than loathe, colleagues’ promotions.

- Don’t cut corners – Many will ‘play’ when the boss is away. Mystery illnesses, appointments and excuses abound from colleagues when they think no one is watching. If you put 100% in 100% of the time, are self-motivated and have a strong personal, work ethic, regardless of an audience or not, this will not go unnoticed. Trust me.

- Don’t over assert in meetings – I have sat in endless meetings with colleagues that resemble a battleground, everybody talking over each other, thinking if they speak the loudest or the longest they will be heard. Don’t enter in to this game. Be calm, collected and confident and when it is your turn to speak, say something powerful. Saying the correct thing quietly can be more influential than shouting the wrong thing longest or loudest. The right people will notice. This means knowing your material inside out – whether it be food menus, sales figures, research literature, media demographics. The devil is in the detail. Say your point well, properly and accurately and then be quiet. The same goes for materials in the meetings. It is better to deliver a well reported verbal report than to hide behind pages and pages of mindless printed material or a laptop PowerPoint. By all means, use these tools if they provide a succinct summary to support your argument, but don’t use them as your artillery; be prepared to put yourself in the firing line and your considered, well-reasoned responses will be defence enough!

Follow these tips and you’ll be climbing the ladder to promotion in no time!