Always a bridesmaid: What should you do if you aren't getting promoted?

Q: You've been at your company for several years. Others have gotten promoted while you're in the same job. You're not good at speaking up, but you know you could do higher-level jobs. What should you do?

Nick's reply: It's easy to get discouraged about your career when it seems your company doesn't really care about it. But it's important to realize that few companies are good at internal career development. Don't wait for someone else to promote you when you deserve it. You've got to go after promotions yourself.

You could start looking for a new job at other companies, but you need an edge: an insider who will recommend you. You could also start applying for internal jobs posted by your own HR department, but that's too impersonal. The good jobs will go to people who are backed by insiders -- managers who support them.

But don't let your discouragement turn you away from your current employer. There are probably great jobs right down the hall from your office or cubicle -- and as an employee you have an inside track on these jobs, compared to outsiders who may apply for them.

Note that the best approach in these situations is the same: You need to develop solid support from insiders. If you're not already on an inside track, it's important to position yourself better.

The smart choice here is to begin your job search in your own backyard. Start by asking your manager to help you with your career goals. A big part of a good manager's job is cultivating the careers of employees, though it seems your boss isn't doing this. No one stays in one job forever. Good workers move on and up. And good managers help them. Once an employee has stuck around long enough so the manager can recoup the training and development investment, it's time to help the employee decide what he wants to do next.

You may have to help your boss help you. Here are some good ways to break the ice on this topic. Start by asking about another area of the company that interests you.

"Can you tell me something about the XYZ department? What do they really do?"

This starts a discussion about opportunities elsewhere in the company. It tells your boss that you're thinking about other kinds of work, but in a non-threatening way.

"What kinds of skills or training do I need to get promoted to job ABC?"

This is more direct, and makes it clear that you recognize promotions aren't given casually. It tells the manager that you accept responsibility to qualify for the promotion. Most important, it says you want help and guidance. I find that many managers respond well to a request for mentoring.

"This may seem odd, but I'd like to talk with you about my weaknesses so I can improve my performance."

It might sound odd, indeed! Many managers avoid this topic because it's embarrassing. Bring it up yourself, and you open the door for a candid discussion that can lead to valuable suggestions to aid your success.

"I realize I'm valuable to you in this job, but I really believe it's time to move on. In exchange for your help to get promoted, I want to help you find and train my replacement."

Sometimes bosses don't promote people because they're afraid to lose them. That's a backhanded compliment. Offer to help replace yourself, and your boss's quandary might be solved, and you might get the help you need, too.

I believe in taking a two-pronged internal approach to career development. Your best guide and advocate can be your own boss -- or a boss in another department. Ask for mentoring, and you may get the attention and help you need. If your manager isn't helpful, you need not look outside the company. Try other managers down the hall. Remember I said it helps to be on an inside track? Well, in your company, you've already got that. Unlike outsiders trying to get in, you can walk into any manager's office at your company and try the techniques we've discussed. Don't wait for a promotion. You have an inside edge. Use it!

Copyright 2009. Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate

Nick Corcodilos is author of "Ask The Headhunter: Reinventing the Interview to Win the Job" and the host of www.asktheheadhunter.com. He can be reached by e-mail at seattle@asktheheadhunter.com or at North Bridge Group, P.O. Box 600, Lebanon, NJ 08833. Sorry, no personal replies.