If you have been hoping for a promotion for a while and are wondering why you keep getting passed over, you may want to look at what you are NOT doing instead of just what you ARE. Sometimes you can seem to do everything right but it is the things you are NOT doing that are getting the attention of your superiors.
1- You are too focused on you and not enough company-focused. One big reason employees are passed over for promotion is the perception that they are too concerned about themselves and not interested enough in the company. Take your focus off you and become more company focused and you may see a change in attitude from upper management
2- You are not hanging out with the right crowd. Just like school, hanging out with the right people can help you become more popular – with the boss that is. Make sure you are networking with the right people at work; be seen with those that are top performing financial modeling employees. Hanging out with the top performers will help others see you as a top performer. Even if you are already a top performer, hanging out with those that management considers under-achievers can get you a bad reputation.
3- You are too comfortable in your daily J-O-B. If you are just going to work, doing your tasks, and punching out then it is likely obvious why you are getting passed over. If you are too comfortable with your job and you aren’t searching for tasks that challenge you and bring you out of your comfort zone then you will likely not be considered someone that is ready for a promotion. Seek out some challenging projects, spearhead a team, or organize an event. These will all look good to management next time they are considering you for a promotion.
4- You aren’t giving your supervisor your support. Supporting your immediate supervisor and your upper management can be critical to landing your next promotion. If you are not supporting them in their decisions, projects, and deadlines you may not be seen as a team player and therefore would not be a good fit for that next promotion.