星空传媒

You might think you鈥檒l be first in line when the job above you becomes vacant, but it鈥檚 not automatically the case, especially if there are strong external candidates. Follow these tips to give yourself the best chance of promotion.

Get involved

Prove you鈥檝e got the right attitude by getting involved in extra-curricular groups, says Cornelius Attridge, HR manager for Atlantic Housing Group. 鈥淰olunteering for a working group shows you鈥檙e trying to understand more about the business generally,鈥� he says. If there鈥檚 an equal opportunities or health and safety review, volunteer to join it. Alternatively, widen your view of the organisation, and explore a move sideways, by trying a secondment in a different department. Jean Atkinson, organisational development HR director of Housing 21, says: 鈥淭his can extend your skills and let you take on new areas of responsibility鈥�.

Ask to do more

You must prove you鈥檝e got skills you aren鈥檛 currently using. If you want a management post, try taking a trainee or work experience person under your wing and ask your boss if you can manage them, Attridge suggests. If you want a post that involves managing budgets, ask for extra involvement in this area. In your appraisals, be honest with your manager about your career goals. Discuss extra responsibilities and training.

Challenge yourself

HR teams must judge whether it鈥檚 only the pay rise you鈥檙e interested in so you must demonstrate you鈥檙e up for new challenges. Atkinson suggests you do this by going on training courses or studying in your own time. Donna Jones, HR manager for Hyde Housing, says: 鈥淵ou could have a lot of transferable skills from things you do at home. If you teach children in a Sunday school, this shows organisational skills, teamwork and possible training and developmental skills.鈥�

Do research

Knowing the person whose job you鈥檙e after is a big advantage: ask them about the skills the new candidate will need. Look in the annual report or intranet for key facts, such as levels of arrears or the department鈥檚 performance indicator. Look on the internet and in the press for news of developments in legislation and policy. Carollyn McDonald, HR and training manager for Three Valleys Housing, says: 鈥淩ead professional journals and keep up to date with legislation and best practice elsewhere. Subscribe to the performance improvement body HouseMark and read its regular email bulletin. The ideas might get you thinking.鈥�

Check out the competition

Make an extra effort to find out about what other organisations are doing. Jones says: 鈥淭he danger is an internal candidate may not think about other organisations and may not be able to generate new ideas.鈥� Read newspapers and the housing press for examples of good practice. McDonald also recommends networking. 鈥淰isit other companies, pick up their leaflets and meet if you can,鈥� she says. 鈥淢eet three or four times a year with like-minded people in similar roles to yours.鈥�

Treat your application as if it鈥檚 for another company

Internal candidates sometimes fail to fill in their application forms properly because they assume HR already has their details, says Attridge. 鈥淒on鈥檛 just photocopy the CV you used three years ago, or write 鈥楽ee CV鈥�, which some people do. Sometimes I think, 鈥榝or goodness sake, why didn鈥檛 you do it a bit better?鈥欌�� Fill the form out carefully, write a proper accompanying letter and update your CV. And when you get to interview, dress smartly, treat your interviewers as if they don鈥檛 know you and sell yourself as you would in an interview elsewhere, says Jones.

Feedback

If you don鈥檛 get the job, ask for feedback, says Attridge. 鈥淵ou know you鈥檝e got a weakness so you need to get it sorted for the next time around. This will also put you in a better frame of mind and it shows your manager that you鈥檙e determined.鈥� McDonald also recommends that, as you never know when the next vacancy will come up, you should keep a learning log and reflect on it regularly.