How To Tell Your Leader You Want To Advance Your Career

I’m a big – READ: huge – proponent of people owning their career paths. It’s something I’m crazy passionate about. It’s just my thing.

For a little context, in 2005, I jumped off the hamster wheel – quitting a job I loved to raise my daughter. I had no clue what I was going to do, but I knew the rat race wasn’t it. I crossed paths with a scrappy startup called BELAY during the middle of a recession.?

As BELAY’s first employee and virtual assistant – and then onto serve as Director, Vice President, President, COO, and now CEO – I’ve learned a lot about perseverance and owning your journey.

I’ve always believed that if opportunity doesn’t come knocking, go build a door.

That said, I understand – especially now in a leadership position – that it can feel intimidating to initiate a conversation about your ambitions with your leader.?

But leaders – good ones, anyway – want you to have ambitions, especially within your current organizations.?

In fact, I’d argue that it’s one of the most fulfilling parts of my job.?

I know how motivating it is to feel like you’re contributing to something greater while growing as a person and professional. But in order to advance your career, you have to take the initiative when it comes to conversations about your future.

An honest conversation with your leader can have a meaningful and lasting impact on your career trajectory and while good leaders want you to have ambition and initiative, they may not always know exactly where you want to go next.

So, here’s how you tell them.

Timing is Everything

Find a time that works best for your leader without creating a sense of urgency so you can both block enough time to discuss your goals without feeling rushed.??

Recognize Your Leader As Your Promotion Partner

Sharing your goals and ambitions with your leader can provide greater opportunity and a stronger relationship. And this relationship is mutually beneficial as sharing your ambitions adds to your employee retention value since employees usually stay longer with a company that shows it is willing to invest in its workforce’s development.

Win-win.

Mind Your Message

Someone wise – and likely less brash – once told me that, ‘It’s not always what you say, but how you say it.’

So framing the conversation properly is mission-critical to its success. Before you ever meet, think about how your leader may be able to help you achieve your goals, and prepare to demonstrate your readiness, willingness and ability to take on more.?

Be Your Own Hype (Wo-)Man

Review your accomplishments and reiterate your enthusiasm about working there. You could even modify this script from The Muse to start the conversation:

• “I’d like to talk about what the next step in my career with ______ looks like.?
• ”I’ve been here ____ years and I’ve proven my ability to grow ____________. It’s been a tremendous growth experience for me — and for the company. I’ve increased ______ and grown ____ by ____ percentage year over year.
• “I’ve met or exceeded my key performance indicators in each of these areas while developing strong relationships with our internal and external stakeholders.”

Be A Visionary?

Share where you see yourself in one, three, or five years – even without specific job titles.?

Be sure to also share what skills you’d like to develop, what experiences you’d like to have, and what knowledge you’d like to acquire – and how these things can help the organization solve its business problems.

Know Your Next Step

Now, I know that, in some cases, the next step isn’t necessarily clear. But if you have any idea of what that next step is, say so.

You need to ask for what you want so you don’t get stuck with something you don’t. This isn’t the time to be coy or passive.

Follow-Up

Again, this isn’t the time to play hard to get. Opportunities won’t just fall into your lap and your leader is likely juggling other responsibilities.

Simply put: you know what they say about squeaky wheels.?

When your initial meeting comes to a close, express to your leader that you plan to follow-up with them – whether to report on how you’ve acted on their feedback, a development plan you’ll devise, or similar – so they know you will be in touch.

It’s important to stay top of mind while also being respectful of their time.

It’s Grow Time

You want to be better tomorrow than you are today. We all do.?

But what separates those who get promoted and those who don’t often comes down to one thing: Self-advocacy.?

So many of us have ambitions but if we keep them to ourselves, too unsure or scared to speak them into existence, they’re left to wither on the vine of ‘what if.’

With these tips – and a few more here – you’ll be sure to bloom. Now, go get what you deserve!