6 Tips to Help You Get that Promotion & Project a Stronger Presence in the Workplace   

I’ll never forget my first employee assessment, at my first job out of college. I was praised for my work ethic, but encouraged to work on my shyness. I come from a loud, speak-your-mind kind of family, so I was surprised to find out later from my coworkers that I had been branded as the “shy girl” on the team. It wasn’t until I watched my coworkers get their promotions and new, important responsibilities that I realized what a toll my timidity was taking on my career.

Where was my promotion, I wondered? Wasn’t I told I was a hard worker and a great asset to my team? It turned out the solution to my problem was something I like to think of as “The Art of Speaking Up,” and putting it into practice since then has changed how I view my career path.

C-Suiters & Co-Founders Talk About Being Assertive

I recently had the opportunity to attend a panel at SXSW Interactive about “How to Ask for Money: Know Your Worth, Get Paid.” The panel included: Jane Park, founder and CEO of Julep; Kimberly Bryant, founder and executive director of Black Girls Code, and Danae Ringelmann, co-founder and chief development officer of Indiegogo. If anyone knows how to hustle, negotiate and speak up, it’s this set of entrepreneurs.

Together with their advice from the session, and a little of my own experience, here are five tips that will help you land that next big promotion:

Raise your Hand
This is the essence of the whole idea — you have to speak up! Jane Park said, “The worst thing that can happen is that someone rejects you, but at least you aren’t rejecting yourself right out of the gate.” If you want a raise, ask! If you want more responsibility at work, ask! You’re only hurting yourself if you don’t at least try.

Know your Worth
There are some great resources out there that can shed some light on what your peers might be making in the position you’re currently in or the position you want to be in. Study up. Focus on what you’re contributing to your company/team. If you’re asking for a raise, are you making it easy for people to say yes? Make a business case for your company to invest in you. Be ready to show them what you contribute to your team.

Be Your Own Cheerleader
Get those pompoms out, girl. Your career is not the place to be modest or shy. “No one is going to manage your career but you,” Kimberly Bryant said. She suggested establishing both a five- and ten-year plan and following through. Document these plans in a place where you’ll see them often. I keep mine written on cute notebook paper fastened in the back of my weekly planner. If you have a friend or mentor you trust, share it with them, and they can provide guidance and hold you accountable.

Don’t Fear Confidence
There seems to be a lot of negative ideas attached to the word “confidence,” but look it up: confidence means believing in your powers and abilities. I like to listen to what RuPaul has to say on the subject: “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?” Same thing applies here. If you don’t think you’re worthy of a raise, a promotion or more responsibility, then how will anyone else think that?

If confidence is something you struggle with, here are some more tips that might help:

• • • Visualize – Really stop and think about what confidence can help you achieve. Imagine yourself with that confidence. How would you act? What would you say/do? How would people respond? Tip: The more you visualize – the less intimidating it will seem to execute in real life.
    • Write – Research some words or phrases that make you feel or remind you to be confident. Write them in a memo on your phone or keep them on a sticky note at your desk. Tip: You can use these as motivation throughout any work day where you might need a little boost of confidence.
    • Find a “Confidence Mentor”– Everyone has someone in their life who exudes that je ne sais quoi – an indescribable confidence and power. Talk to that person! Get some tips from them. Practice certain scenarios with my confidence mentor – how to interview for your dream job, how to ask for a raise, etc. This really helps prepare you for situations where you might typically get nervous.   Tip: If you’ve already thought about what you want to say and how you want to say it, chances are good that you’ll be able to express yourself how you want to when the moment really counts!
    • Fake it Until you Make It – This principle applies in a lot of situations, but especially when it comes to confidence. All of that visualization you’ve done and the written reminders you’ve made for yourself come together here. Tip: Even on days when you’re just not feeling it, if you project a confident image, people will respond in kind. And the more you project that confidence (whether fake or real) the more easily it will come to you when you need it.

Be Fearless
I often use this phrase as a guidepost in all sort of situations – what’s the worst that could happen if I choose to be confident in this moment? Ask yourself that question. I would be willing to bet that the worst thing that could happen isn’t all that bad–  or even bad at all! Sure, being confident can be scary sometimes, but if you push through that fear, the outcome will be well worth the temporary discomfort.

Expect Resistance
So maybe you struck out on that raise (for now) or were told to wait a little longer before you get that promotion you’ve been wanting. That’s okay. Use failure as a learning experience, and you’ll be surprised how much you grow. It’s hard to believe, but every time you speak up, it gets easier. If you keep the lines of communication open, it’s that much easier to get feedback on what you can do to ensure you’ll get that promotion. I’m a firm believer that the best opportunities for you are found after the so-called “perfect” opportunities pass you by.

Danae Ringelmann of Indiegogo perhaps said it best during the SXSW session: “If you’re upset about it, do something.” If you’re a champion for yourself and the work you do, you can change the trajectory of your career path. And it all starts with speaking up.