Career Planning

Are You Getting Passed Over for Promotions?

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Have you been applying for promotions and not getting picked despite the fact that you think you’re qualified? Here are some possible reasons why:

Man distraught over not getting job promotions.
  • You may not have the skills you think you do. Perhaps you’re really good technically but haven’t exhibited the interpersonal or soft skills the next level requires. Or one of the technical skills needed for that promotion may not be your strength—even though you can perform that function at a basic level.
  • While you do everything asked—and do it well, you may not be seen as someone who takes the initiative. Do you proactively problem solve or look to management to help? Do you go above and beyond—all the time?
  • You may be seen as too casual or unprofessional. Do you gossip? Dress too casually? Sign off the minute you’re able? Again, you may get everything done but these other issues—or your reputation—may hurt your chances for promotion.
  • You’re not really known outside your work group. As you move up the ladder, people you do not interact with regularly may weigh in on promotion decisions. Do you the people above you—and do they know you?
  • You have communicated that it’s “your turn” to be promoted based on tenure. This never goes well; promotions need to be earned and it needs to be clear that you’re ready. Organizations need to be convinced that you can add value for them.
  • You haven’t communicated that you’re looking to move up. Have you spoken to your boss about your career interests? Actually applied for the job? Shown that you can “do more”?
  • Your organization doesn’t have higher-level work. You may have simply reached as far as you can go in your organization. Are you competing with lots of high-potential employees? Is your organization flailing or otherwise not doing well? Is the work you do fairly routine? Assessing whether promotion is possible in your current environment is important.

What can you do to better position yourself for promotion?

  • Sit down with your supervisor and share your short- and longer-term goals. Ask for feedback—and listen to what you hear. Show that you’re trying to implement suggestions.
  • Track your accomplishments. It is important for you to recognize and share your achievements. This does not mean being a braggart. But it does mean that you should know and communicate your achievements to your boss. You can do this during your performance discussions and in writing during your end-of-year evaluation.
  • Build and leverage your professional network. You need support to get promoted—and that support needs to come from more than your peers and subordinates. Make yourself known to leadership in a positive way. Use LinkedIn and other tools to stay in touch with colleagues outside your organization to stay current and understand how other organizations view your position.
  • Consider getting a coach and/or a mentor. It’s always helpful to hear another unbiased opinion on your situation.

Remember, no one cares about your career more than you do. Take charge!

How to Resign

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Perhaps you have reached the point of no return. Or you have decided that you want to be part of the “great resignation.” Or maybe you have gotten another job (congratulations!) If any of the above are true (and of course there are other reasons too), you will need to resign from your current employer. And ideally you want to do so gracefully.

An employee holding a resignation letter and packed things in a box while leaving a job.

Here are some tips for how to (and how not to) resign:

  • DO NOT forget to give notice. Two weeks is standard; depending upon your role in the organization, more time may be appropriate.
  • DO NOT burn bridges. You may need a reference—or you may decide you want to return to the organization.
  • Do NOT take the opportunity to share everything you think is wrong about the organization.
  • DO NOT brag about your new opportunities.
  • Do put your resignation in writing—and provide your contact information.
  • DO understand your separation benefits; COBRA, whether you’ll be reimbursed for unused vacation pay, 401(k), etc.
  • DO meet with your boss to tell her personally that you are leaving.
  • DO thank your organization for the opportunity – and share something you learned or enjoyed about the job.
  • DO offer to assist with the transition.
  • DO return all property that belongs to your organization.
  • DO be sure to delete any personal files from your work computer.
  • DO say goodbye to your colleagues.

People will remember how you resign. Take the time to do it right!

Thinking About Personal Pronouns on Your Resume and/or LinkedIn Profile?

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You may have noticed pronouns (he/him/his, she/her/hers, they/them/theirs, ze/hir/zir) being included on social media profiles, email signatures, and in the job search process in general. Including pronouns can prevent accidental misgendering, helping you avoid having to correct a hiring manager or recruiter using incorrect pronouns. It could also help you identify an inclusive workplace. There is no one blanket rule/policy that can apply to all, and your decision to include your pronouns is a very personal one.

There are a few ways that you can clarify your pronouns within a job application process. If you want to include on your resume, you can simply add your pronouns under your name in the header (before your contact information). Another perhaps less obvious way to include your pronouns is in your cover letter, beneath your signature at the bottom of the page. You can add your pronouns in parentheses next to your name, or you can add an additional line under your name/title.  Sometimes, job applications will ask you to identify your salutation of Mr./Ms./Dr./other.

If you do want to include your pronouns on your career documents, there are a couple of ways to do so.

  • On the resume, add your pronouns in parentheses next to your name, or under your name. You can also choose to put your pronouns in a different color text to make them stand out.
  • On your cover letter, you can include your preferred pronouns under your signature at the bottom of the page. Or you could add them in parentheses next to — or underneath — your name at the top of the cover letter.
  • When sending an email to a hiring manager or recruiter, you can include your pronouns in your email signature.
  • On job applications, there may be a place to select your gender and/or pronouns. If you identify as nonbinary or transgender, you can leave that question blank if there is not a suitable choice.
  • On LinkedIn, you can add your pronouns to the “Last Name” field (so they appear after your name), or LinkedIn has now added a “Pronouns” drop-down to select your pronouns (or input custom pronouns).

While there can be many benefits to including your pronouns, the unfortunate truth is that there is still hiring discrimination in some quarters, so delineating your pronouns on your documents is ultimately your choice. You may have other opportunities, during the interview or after hiring, to share your preferred pronouns.

Thinking Career Change?

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Deciding to change careers is a big decision.  It doesn’t just happen; it takes work and focus in 4 areas: Future Orientation, Research, Mindset, and Putting Yourself Out There. Whether you are focused on a federal or private sector career change, here are some specific actions to take to help you make that change you’ve been dreaming about.

Future Orientation

  • Start thinking about the future by examining the past. Reflect on your career journey to date — how you got to where you are today. How did you choose your current career?
  • Spend 15 minutes brainstorming what you want your ideal next job to be like in your new career fields.
  • Take a career assessment test (skills test) to identify opportunities for a future career. Free assessments include the O*Net Interest Profiler (https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip) or the CareerOneStop Skills Matcher (https://www.careeronestop.org/toolkit/Skills/skills-matcher.aspx).
  • Make a list of what you like — and don’t like — about your current job. What do you want to be different in your next career?
  • Take a sheet of paper. On one half, write a list of the skills you already possess. On the other half, make a list of the skills required in your new industry.

Research

  • Conduct an inventory. What skills, education, and experience do you have to offer (not just from your current job, but also consider volunteer work, hobbies, previous roles, etc.)?
  • Explore your transferable skills and experience using a tool like the CareerOneStop mySkills myFuture tool: https://www.myskillsmyfuture.org.
  • Spend 15 minutes researching a target profession. Use an online tool like the CareerOneStop Occupation Profile: https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Careers/Occupations/occupation-profile.aspx
  • Make a list of 10 job titles you’d consider in a career change.
  • Make a list of 10 target employers you’d be interested in working for in your next career.
  • Spend 15 minutes researching the salary and benefit averages for your desired career.
  • Write down the names of 10 people who might be helpful in making your career change.

Mindset

  • Take out a piece of paper (or open a document on your computer) and spend 5-10 minutes answering these questions: Why do you want to make a change? What do you want to be different in your next career?
  • Write out a statement — a mission statement — that you can use to guide your career change. It should outline what you want your career to look like and how you will achieve your goal.

Putting Yourself Out There

  • Register for a class, training, or degree that will move you towards your next career.
  • Make an appointment with a career counselor to provide an objective point of view on your career change planning.
  • Set up an informational interview. Arrange a meeting/call to talk to someone who does the job you want to do.
  • Ask one of your contacts if you can “shadow” them at their job to see what a “day in the life” is like in that career.
  • Re-target your resume to highlight your transferable skills, training and education, and experience towards your new career target.

None (or even all) of the above ideas will guarantee you a successful career change but they will help you get on the road to success!

Is Your Boss Hurting Your Career?

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Not all bosses are perfect—in fact, most aren’t. Some bosses aren’t interested in helping your career and some are just poor managers. Nonetheless, you can still have a successful career. Here are some ideas to help you succeed:

  • Make sure your performance is exemplary. Deliver high quality work products on time. Be confident (but not arrogant) in your abilities. This will help give your boss less to complain about and minimizes your opportunity to be seen as an easy target.
  • Have a conversation with your boss. Pick your time carefully and be prepared. Focus on what you need rather than what’s wrong with your boss.
  • Recognize that it’s not always about you. Your supervisor’s unpleasantness, disinterest, whatever, may have nothing to do with you—try to not take it personally.
  • Identify what you can learn from your boss. Everyone can you teach you something. Figure out what you boss has to offer and learn it—and forget about the rest (easier said than done, of course!) You can learn something, even from a bad boss.
  • Find a mentor. A mentor can provide perspective, act as a sounding board, and perhaps broaden opportunities for other experiences.
  • Try to be become an ally. Ask your boss what she needs from you to succeed. Listen carefully and deliver it.
  • See if there are other opportunities in your organization. Look for temporary assignments, details, or sideways movements within your organization. That will give you an opportunity to meet new people and expand your skills.
  • Keep you own counsel. While it is tempting to share your experiences with colleagues, be careful. Secrets are rarely kept and what is shared may not be what you said. And if it gets back to your boss (which it likely will), things are not likely to improve for you.
  • Determine if there are viable options for assistance internally. Many organizations have a Human Resources office, an Equal Employment Opportunity office, or conflict resolution resources. These options should not generally be your first resort but of course, there are situations that demand immediate third party intervention but in most cases, you should try to solve the problem yourself or at least peacefully coexist with your boss if possible.
  • Decide whether it’s time to leave. If you decide that the situation is irreparable, make a plan for a transition. Do not quit in a huff; if it all possible, begin a structured job search.

There is no perfect solution to a bad boss but having one doesn’t have to ruin your career. If you do need to leave your job, do not bad mouth your boss on the way out. Be sure to do your due diligence about future organizations and bosses during your search. You don’t want to end up in another untenable situation.

LinkedIn by the Numbers

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As you know by now, LinkedIn is a powerful networking tool. I look at LinkedIn profiles every day and see that many users do not take full advantage of their profile. Character counts are changing regularly; here are some current character counts—check out your profile and make sure you’re taking advantage!

  • First name: 20 characters. If you have a formal name but use a nickname, this can be helpful. For example, Robert (Bob). This is 12 characters and allows people to search for you by either your formal or nickname.
  • Last name: 40 characters. BONUS: If you name is difficult to pronounce, LinkedIn has a feature where you can record your name; this is a great tool to use!
  • Headline: 210 characters. If you don’t create a headline, LinkedIn automatically uses your job title. Consider using a customized headline so you can include words that are specific to your industry. This is a search feature that recruiters use.
  • Customized URL: 30 characters. LinkedIn allows you to customize your URL; a customized URL allows you to remove the random numbers that LinkedIn assigns. A customized URL can be used on your resume.
  • About: 2,600 characters. This is a great opportunity to get personal and tell something about yourself; who are you? What do you bring to the table? What is your story? Using first person is acceptable, as is highlighting your achievements and the things that are important to you. This section can also be searched by recruiters so be sure to include key words from your industry.
  • Company name: 100 characters
  • Location / Industry: this is a predetermined list prepared by LinkedIn. Don’t forget to include your industry and location. As of this writing, LinkedIn as identified 148 industries ranging from law enforcement to shipbuilding to retail to farming to computers and everything in between. These too, are searchable by recruiters.
  • Job Title (100) / Job Description (2,000) each. Don’t forget to populate these sections.

LinkedIn offers lots of other section too including Education, Field of Study, Volunteer, Skills, Projects, Publications, Certifications, Languages, Awards, Courses, and Patents. Take a good hard look at your Profile and see what you can do to attract more views and connections!