When looking for career advancement, or to get an initial job, it is important to know what professional skills you possess and where you want to go in your career so that you can effectively advocate for yourself in the workplace. Remember that you are the expert on your skills, education, certifications, and previous experience.
Know Your Value & Be Confident
In order to effectively advocate for yourself, you must first know what skills you possess and be able to articulate how they would fit into and benefit the fabric of a company. During an interview, do not assume that the hiring committee already knows your skills and experience level. Yes, they may have read your resume, but it is your responsibility to connect the dots for them and convey how you are the best choice.
Additionally, whether you are looking for a raise or want to be considered for a promotion, an essential aspect of advocating for yourself is the ability to confidently convey your value to key stakeholders. Preparing for an interview and practicing speaking out loud are excellent ways to become more comfortable talking about your skills and will give you the confidence necessary to express your desires clearly and concisely.
Do Your Research
If you are unsure of how you might be of value to a company, you can conduct informational interviews to learn more from people who are already working in your desired field or have the job title that you would like to have. Furthermore, if you are looking for a pay raise and are unsure of how to compare salaries, conducting salary research is essential.
Be sure that what you are looking for is in alignment with what a company has to offer as your desired career path or salary may not be possible in your current position. Also, keep in mind that salary differences will range based on geographic locations.
Stay Within Your Lane
It's important not to independently take on extra work that isn't part of your job and then hope others will notice and reward you for it. Instead, be the first one to volunteer if your supervisor asks for additional team members to assist with meeting the deadline of a large-scale project. Ask if there are additional responsibilities that you could take on, or if you could shadow someone who is in a position or role that you would like to learn more about. Let your supervisor know that you are interested in growing within the company and would appreciate their support and/or recommendation.
Speak Up
Part of successfully advocating for yourself is being able to effectively communicate your goals.
Don’t expect your supervisor to fully know every detail of the work you perform. Often, you may know more about your daily work than your supervisor. But don’t be offended, and keep in mind that it is not personal. People are busy and have their own issues and responsibilities to navigate and management trusts that you are performing your work duties well.
If you have evaluated your current workload and want to do more, ask for more responsibility. Never demand. Be polite, be persistent, but don’t be pushy. Providing facts to support your statements is a valuable aspect when advocating for yourself as it helps to remove unnecessary emotions out of the equation and allows your talents and skillsets to shine.
Part of advocacy is providing relevant data and facts that speak to your work productivity and how it contributed to your company’s mission or strategic goals. While it might be uncomfortable to talk about your achievements during an interview, or ask your supervisor for a raise, effectively being able to communicate your skills and qualifications is the best way to convey what you know how to do.
Be Patient, Stay Positive, and Don’t Give Up
Never stop being your own advocate. It is not always an easy task to advocate for yourself in the workplace, but imperative to continue, even when met with resistance. If you don’t believe in yourself first, how can other people help you?
If it is a promotion that you are seeking and you presented your value and worth to your supervisor, it is natural to assume that the information you presented wasn’t good enough, or that your supervisor simply doesn’t like you. Stay positive and keep in mind that the timing may just be off. Perhaps your supervisor needs time to elevate your request to management, or to submit a funding request in the next budget cycle.
However, if what you are asking for reasonable and you find that your current company is not able to provide you with what you are looking for, part of advocating for yourself is to look for a different place to work that may be in better alignment with your long-term career goals.
Raelynn F. Grasso is a Career Advising Specialist at the University of Maryland Global Campus and Adjunct Psychology Professor. She has experience leading and providing individual, group, and career counseling, as well as executing and developing programs to enhance college student enrichment. Ms. Grasso’s areas of research include career decision-making, epistemic cognition, self-efficacy, and college student development. She holds a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Utah, an M.S. in Education Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, both from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
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