Moving Up From Junior Jobs
Joyce Lain Kennedy

When you want to move up to the next level of responsibility, spend time with yourself mustering courage and self-confidence. Follow these steps to freedom from the entry-level rut:

1 Record your achievements

Prepare two advancement-value files to record your qualifications that merit advancement. Use the first one to store documentation of newly acquired skills, knowledge and experience. Stumped? Stimulate recognition by glancing over listings of skills found in many career-advancement books.

Create a second advancement-value file of your accomplishments and positive performance reviews or verbal compliments from peers, customers and supervisors. These files document your ability to do the quality of work required in a higher-level position.

Working from job descriptions and interviews with people who do the job you want, create a document that compares the content of your two advancement-value files with the requirements of the position you want. Anticipate how you will plug any gaps you discover with training or self-study.

2 Get some feedback and find some role models

Find a friend who is willing to suffer through your negotiating practice sessions using your advancement comparison document and give you feedback. If management won't let you do the job you want immediately, be able, at least, to "talk the job" so your name will pop to mind when a vacancy occurs.

The next step in your pursuit of promotion is to identify role models in your company who have been moved up to the level of the position you want. Observe and ask questions. Pay attention to how they...

• get attention
• network
• involve themselves in decision-making
• forward ideas and suggestions
• showcase skills
• handle stress
• reflect company goals
• dress, speak, and behave
• implement a work ethic
• show a good attitude
• communicate and listen