With unemployement numbers higher than they’ve been in years (9.5% as of June 2009), it sounds odd to be talking about promotions. When businesses large and small laying off employees, the natural inclination is for us worry about holding on to our jobs. Who wouldn’t! Yet for some, these challenging times may present an opportunity to differentiate yourself, get noticed, and position yourself for a step up the ladder.
Even admist restructuring, when there are fewer employees in an organization, those who survive often have increased opportunities to move up. Speaking to this, renowned career coach Marty Nemko presents an interesting video for U.S. News & World Report with advice on how to position yourself for a promotion in a down economy.
Video - “Getting Ahead in a Down Economy“
1. Hitch youself to a star.
2. Get involved in the companies core.
3. Get involved in professional associations.
4. Utilize online tools to brand yourself.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=fc0abd58-5b8d-451f-b632-f130b402150e "Tips For Getting Promoted in Down Economy")
All of these tips are good. I think the common theme though is to add value to the organization beyond what your paygrade is. In so doing, the company (actually, the manager who has the power to promote or fire you) will see you as a “good deal,” or “valuable” and seek to keep you on board as long as possible (or promote you).
These tips are good, specific ways to accomplish the goal of adding value to yourself. By doing that, a person also takes an active role in ensuring their own job security.
-Kyle