How to Position Yourself for a Promotion in 2025

Hi there, welcome to Work Wise! My name’s Octavia Goredema.

I’m the CEO of Fire Memos, the author of Prep, Push, Pivot and the host of the Audible Original series How To Change Careers.

Every week I share insights and actionable steps to help you do your best work and achieve your career goals.

If you’re looking for tips to accelerate your career, click the “subscribe” button above.

Pursuing a promotion can feel daunting, often clouded by uncertainty and frustration.

As someone who has coached thousands of professionals and authored a book on career advancement, I understand that moving forward in your career isn’t just about working harder. It’s about crafting a clear strategy to get you closer to your next step.

There’s nothing I love more than helping people achieve the promotions they deserve.

That’s why I’m thrilled to be partnering with Maven to deliver a course dedicated to this very topic. It will feature live, interactive sessions designed to equip you with the clarity and confidence to pursue your next promotion.

In this edition of Work Wise, I’m sharing three actionable steps to help you navigate the path to a promotion and make 2025 your breakthrough year.

Let’s dive in.

1. Understand What Your Target Role Requires

If you want to be considered for a promotion, you need to understand what the role requires and be ready to demonstrate where your hard skills, soft skills and experience align.

Then, ask yourself this:

• What measurable contributions can I make to demonstrate I’m ready for this step?
• Where do I have gaps, and how can I close them?

Break your goals into short-term and long-term milestones, to build out your personalized career growth plan.

For example, if you’re aiming to move into a leadership role, identify stretch assignments that provide opportunities to showcase your skills in your current position—like piloting a new process or managing a project.

Find ways to consistently and successfully solve problems that support the business goals for your team.

2. Clarify the Decision-Making Process

Depending on the size of your company, the decision-making process for promotions can vary substantially. To help establish this, consider the following questions:

• What’s the criteria for a promotion?
• Is the promotion process documented?
• When does the next performance review cycle begin?
• How does leadership measure success?
• Who are the decision makers?
• Is there a business case for your promotion?
• How would your promotion affect the broader team or organization?
• Is my manager an advocate for my advancement?

After you consider these questions, identify the areas where you need to dig a little deeper, where you need input from others, and determine the next steps you need to take.

3. Align with Advocates

If you want to advance, cultivating relationships with people in leadership roles is crucial. Ideally, your manager should be one of your biggest advocates. Sometimes that’s the case; sometimes it’s not. 

You can’t control your manager’s actions, but you can control how you show up, what you deliver, and what you choose to do next. Building networks of advocates will help you advance faster.

Here's how to get started:

• Create a wish list of advocates: Include people who already know your skills and strengths.
• Share your accomplishments: Find opportunities to showcase your work and leadership to those on your list.
• Communicate your goals: Share your aspirations, seek feedback on preparing for a promotion, and gather their advice.

Remember that relationships don’t happen overnight and take time to develop. In the meantime, keep building your reputation by continuing to do great work. Sometimes you won’t know when people are advocating for you. But remember, it’s important to be an advocate for yourself and communicate what you’re building towards.

Ready to Pursue the Next Step?

I’m currently building my upcoming Maven course, designed to help professionals like you secure their next promotion.

To do so, I’m gathering feedback to understand the biggest challenges, so I can help you to secure the next step in your career. If you’re aiming for a promotion, your input will be invaluable! You can share your suggestions in this short survey.

Pursuing a promotion can require planning and persistence, but the rewards are worth it. Every promotion journey is unique, but one truth remains constant - the combination of preparation, persistence, advocacy, and support along the way can unlock incredible opportunities.

– Octavia Goredema

CEO of Fire Memos, author of Prep, Push, Pivot and the host of the Audible Original series How To Change Careers