Grab Your Next Big Promotion—Because No One’s Going to Just Hand it To You (Pt 3)

You’ve done the work.

You developed the skills your desired position requires, and you’ve developed the professional values needed to slide friction-free into the position.

You’ve made yourself a good candidate for the job you want.

But the road to your desired job doesn’t end there.

Move from a Generic “Good” Candidate to The Best Person for the Job

Your company will have at least a few good internal candidates to fill any position that opens up. And if your company also looks at external candidates, then the pool of people vying for your desired position will deepen.

In sum: If you only meet the position’s objective and subjective criteria, you’ll just be one good candidate of many.

To increase the odds you will grab the job you desire, you need to separate yourself from the pack. You have to move beyond just meeting generic qualifications and begin to develop the specific skills and relationships your desired position requires within your company.

To stand out from the crowd of candidates, you need:

• A clear picture of what a day in your desired job really looks like.
• The recommendation of the people currently performing it, and currently served by it.

We’re going to tell you how to collect these two things in just a minute… but first, there’s a one last bit of housekeeping to take care of…

It’s Time to Ask For Your Boss’ Formal Nomination

Over the last couple of months, you have worked with your boss to develop the skills and values your desired position requires. Your boss knows you want the job, and that you’ve been working towards earning it.

Now it’s time to see if she will go on the record and say she thinks you’re the right person for the job.

This is more than asking for your boss’ blessing. In many companies, you can only be seen as a real candidate for a position if your boss formally approves you. One manager explains, as cited in Time magazine:

I get a form to sign every time one of my employees applies for another position within the company. The form requires me to give ‘clearance’ for an applicant to accept another position. It asks about your performance evaluations, disciplinary status, etc.

I don’t like HR surprising me with this form. You don’t want to be surprised by something I’m obligated to put on the form. Your boss will find out that you’ve applied, it’s better that they hear it from you than from HR.

Asking for a formal recommendation isn’t just a courtesy, it’s a necessity, so set up a quick meeting with your boss and make this ask.

This meeting can go one of two ways:

If you ask your boss for a nomination, and she doesn’t yet feel comfortable nominating you…

Return to the objective and subjective development plans you laid out with her over the previous two months. Figure out why she hesitates to nominate you, and continue your development in that direction.

If your boss does agree to nominate you…

You’re ready to reach out to others in your organization to add their recommendations to the stack.

Internal Networking with Peers and Stakeholders

Here’s how to set up and excel within these meetings.

1. Schedule meetings with 4-5 people currently in the position you desire. These meetings don’t need to be formal—they can be lunches, breakfasts, coffee, etc. Just get in front of them.
2. Ask them the following questions, and write down their answers. Take detailed notes. Don’t skip a question, even if it doesn’t make sense right now. The information you receive from these meetings will be very important when you meet with your desired position’s hiring manager. Ask:
   1. Who are your day-to-day stakeholders?
   2. What do you do for them on a day-to-day basis?
   3. What skills do you use on a day-to-day basis?
   4. Do you think my experience is applicable to this role?
   5. Would you recommend me to your role’s hiring manager if a position opens up?
      1. If they say “Yes” then ask to get their recommendation in writing.)
      2. If they say “No”, then ask: What skills or values do I need to develop to make you feel comfortable recommending me?

Next, you want to meet with your desired position’s stakeholders.

4. Schedule meetings with 4-5 stakeholders currently served by the position you desire. 
5. Ask them the following questions, and write down their answers. Again, take detailed notes. Ask: 
   1. How does this role serve you on a day-to-day basis?
   2. Are you satisfied with how the role is serving you?
   3. What changes would you want to see in the role?
   4. Do you like the current role manager’s strategy?
   5. What changes would you want to see in that strategy?
   6. Do you think my experience is applicable to the role?
   7. Would you recommend me to your role’s hiring manager if a position opens up?
      1. If they say “Yes” then ask to get their recommendation in writing.)
      2. If they say “No”, then ask: What skills or values do I need to develop to make you feel comfortable recommending me?

While none of these people ultimately decides whether or not you get the position, their support—and the insights they provide—will go a long way towards convincing the position’s hiring manager that you’re the best candidate for the job. 

Much more on convincing the position’s hiring manager next month. But for now, build your case why you are more than just another generic “good” candidate for the job.