How to Prepare for a Promotion When One Isn't Available

What do you do when you are ready for the next step in your career but there are no promotion opportunities available at your current organization? Instead of letting this frustration lead to stagnation, channel it into productive steps to prepare yourself for future opportunities—whether they become available at your organization eventually or at a new company.

Here are steps you can take to ensure you're ready when the time comes:

1. Seek Coaching or Mentorship

• Consider an executive coach – like me, wink wink – that can help you identify strengths and areas to improve, work on your personal brand, and create a customized plan (including the recommendations below) for achieving your career goals. A coach also provides a sounding board outside your current network where you can work through professional obstacles in a safe, non-threatening environment.

• Find a mentor that can offer guidance from someone who has traveled the same career path and can share their experiences.

2. Build Relevant Skills

• Research what skills or qualifications are needed for the role you want and identify the key competencies you need to strengthen. You can even look at job descriptions for similar positions to get an idea.

• Find online courses, workshops, or certifications relevant to your desired role and those sought out by companies (e.g., using generative AI). You can share your newfound knowledge with your supervisor or during a job interview.

• Request stretch assignments that challenge you and allow you to build experience in areas relevant to your future role. Many promotions require leadership qualities, so look for opportunities to develop these skills, like leading a team project or mentoring others. If there aren’t opportunities at your current organization, look outside for committees or boards you can join that provide you the professional growth you need.

• Stay updated on industry news, trends, and shifts. This can help you bring fresh ideas and valuable insights to your current role and be better prepared for discussions in interviews.

3. Grow Internal and External Networks

• Cultivate a strong internal network with colleagues at all levels, particularly with leaders and decision-makers, to create more visibility to management should internal opportunities arise. Volunteer to work on cross-functional projects outside your usual scope. This helps you gain a broader understanding of organizational needs and and demonstrates your value to others outside your department.

• Expand your external network by attending industry events, conferences, and seminars to meet people that have similar roles or work at companies or in industries where you may be interested in working.

• Use professional networking sites like LinkedIn while at networking events to stay connected with others afterwards. This external network can be extremely valuable when they have openings at their organizations.

4. Showcase Your Knowledge and Achievements

• Track your accomplishments and keep a record of your key contributions, successful projects, and final outcomes. This will be useful to share with your supervisor during performance discussions or for future applications.

• Keep your resume and LinkedIn profile updated with new skills, experiences, and accomplishments. This will keep you ready to apply when the time is right.

• Showcase thought leadership by contributing to industry conversations, sharing articles or insights online, publishing content, or giving presentations. Focus on the topics that align with your future career goals to better position you for the job you want and give you credibility as a subject matter expert.

5. Be Patient but Ready

• Shift your mindset and ask yourself, “Have I gained everything I can out of this role/organization?” While it may feel like you aren’t gaining the career momentum you desire at your current organization, use the time you have left wisely so you stay engaged and motivated.

• Decide on a timeframe for when you want to be ready for a new role and set specific milestones along the way (e.g., learning and development goals, completion of current stretch assignments).

• Keep an eye on the job market. Staying aware of job opportunities helps you spot promising roles as they appear. This can also identify any additional development you may need to secure roles you are looking for.

If you are an organizational leader:

Have an employee who wants to advance but there aren’t any current opportunities? This can be a challenge to keep them engaged or you may even need to help transition them out of the company. Look out for my next article on how to navigate this from the employer point of view.

Bottom Line:

Embarking on your career advancement journey without immediate promotion opportunities may feel disheartening. But with the right approach, you can turn this time into a valuable phase of personal and professional growth. By focusing on skill development, building a robust network, and preparing for future opportunities, you’re positioning yourself strategically for when the right role becomes available. This shows your current or future employer how committed you are to your career and how intentional you were in preparing for the opportunity. Stay proactive, patient, and resilient, and your readiness for the next step will pay off.