In a recent conversation I had with a client she told me that she thought it was time she asked for a new title for her role, as she felt that she was already doing above and beyond her remit and working at the next level.  My questions to her were “Why stop at the title? Why not go for the promotion and get a recognised increase in level and pay rise?”  Without thinking she replied, “I don’t feel confident enough to move up, because there are still things, I’m sure I need to learn for the next level”.  Does that sound familiar? 

Sadly, this is a very common response to an often asked question, and I’m sad to say it’s predominantly made by women, who falsely believe that because they can only do 99% of the next level up role, they are not capable of going for the promotion. Yet when it comes to promotion managers expect that you won’t know everything and are looking for individuals who show they have room and ability for growth and improvement. 

I believe a lot of this is simply down to lack of confidence, because for many, to feel confident they need to feel prepared and know how to do everything.  Yet, if they went in for the promotion knowing exactly what to do, they would be bored within a few months because they wouldn’t be challenging themselves.  

Again, does that sound familiar? If it does, then what do you need to do to get yourself over the line sooner and be confident and comfortable in stretching for that higher role?  One exercise that I often use with my clients is to ask them to imagine that they are being interviewed by a magazine of their choice.  I ask them to write it up through the eyes of the interviewer, so in the third person. The interviewer wants to show them in their best possible light.  They want to showcase all the interviewees skills, career highlights and qualities so that they can inspire their readers, and hopefully when my client reads it back, they will be inspired themselves and realise that they can do anything they want.    

If you’d like to do this exercise some suggested questions to ask yourself are: 

 

  • What is unique about this person? 
  • What details of their life have set them apart from others? 
  • What were the reasons for them taking the path they took? 
  • What obstacles have they overcome along the way? 
  • What are the key personal characteristics that have been valuable to them? 
  • Who would you ask for a background quote and what would they say? 

 

Make sure you write it out properly and add a few photos, as it is a magazine article after all. And I bet if you read that same article in a magazine, you would definitely think that person was confident enough to do anything they wanted to do.   

This article was written by  Charlotte Worth, one of Careering into Motherhood’s Partner Coaches. Charlotte helps her clients to unlock their full potential by enabling them to navigate any bumps in the road, embrace their strengths and achieve their work-life goals. She offers a free discovery call for prospective clients.  

March 8, 2023