Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with promotion and job

How should I express my internal promotion on my resume?

cosmic.osmo — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 13:44:11 -0800

I was recently received an internal promotion in my current team from a junior level to senior level title. This promotion is due to experience and performance: I will continue to work on the same projects as before in the same role. How should I express this promotion on my resume? There's also a further complicating factor (to me at least): my manager has been trying to get me this promotion for a year, but due to the economy, it hasn't happened until now. So this doesn't represent an actual career milestone to me, just when HR got around to putting their stamp on it.

I see three options:

1. List it under the same job, with just the new title, and mention the promotion and promotion date in the summary. I like this one the best, since nothing except my title and pay have changed, but I worry that some people might think it's misleading.

2. List it under the same job, but with two titles. I don't really like this as much, since it could be confusing, but it is a little more up front than #1.

3. List it as a different job. I've seen this mentioned in other places, and it has the plus of calling attention to the new title, but it's awkward since I will either have to describe the same projects twice or divide them up arbitrarily.

Would you skip a step up the promotion ladder, if you could?

Anonymous — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:48:48 -0800

Would you apply for a job you felt underqualified for, even if it meant essentially skipping a step up the promotion ladder? Pros & cons inside. [On preview, wow, it's a day for job application questions!] I just discovered a job opening. The application deadline is rapidly approaching (uh, tomorrow!). I'm thinking of applying but have some doubts.

Getting the job would essentially mean skipping a step up the ladder. I got a promotion at my current job about two months ago. The next step up from this new position would be the job I'm considering applying for. It could benefit from me gaining some skills and experience in the job I just stepped into. Apply now, or not?

Reasons to apply --
* Nothing ventured, nothing gained; life is short; carpe diem; etc.
* It's the hiring committee's job to decide whether I'm qualified or not. Why give up without trying?
* It'd be a great career move, closer to my core interests, and at a higher level of responsibility.
* Most people in leadership positions probably felt over their head when they first got the job, right? People often spend the first month or so rapidly learning either new content or new areas of responsibility, right?
* My current job is okay, but with a shift in leadership, my interests and strongest skills (and my old department) are now somewhat outside the company's core focus. The promotion puts me in the favored department, where I'll strengthen other skills, so that's good. But the difference in interests means I might still not get much support or the most exciting opportunities. The new job would be a great match for those interests.

Reasons not to apply --
* The new job would really benefit from the skills that I will be strengthening in this new role I just stepped into. Should I just wait six months, get some accomplishments and experience under my belt, and hope that this position is still unfilled or gets re-opened?
* If I look underqualified on paper, will people remember that and look less favorably on future applications?
* I might look more qualified on paper than I really am. If I got the job, I'm afraid I wouldn't quite know what I'm doing and could let people down.
* How do I explain my desire to leave right after getting a promotion? Does that look disloyal or just ...weird? I wouldn't highlight it, but I wouldn't obfuscate it either.

Do I deserve a raise?

Anthony84 — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:42:24 -0800

Do I deserve a raise and what should I be asking for? Are there any resources other than salary.com type places that can help me with this decision? I know this is asked all the time but each situation seems different. Before I say anything else, I LOVE MetaFilter, this community is awesome.

Anyway, pardon the complete lack of knowledge on this topic (and my lack of clarity in asking my question), but I know very little on this subject and I want to learn as much as possible. After all, this is the first time I've been put into this type of position. In general I ask, what should I do about my salary and position given my situation?

Here's what detail I can give: I started my job a couple of years ago out of college and within a year of starting, I went from trainee to trainer due to some shifting of positions at work. I've done an exemplary job by all accounts in my current position, and I've taken on a number of additional responsibilities without additional compensation (besides merit increases). To me, that alone would warrant some kind of increase in pay or a promotion (am I right?). However, neither has happened in the last 2 years even though I've been slaving away nonstop.

To be more specific, I was hired on in California to do software testing and a little bit of development for a company. I now find myself developing and testing 50/50 or perhaps even 60/40, and training new people to assist in my work. Because my job is a mix of different things, it's hard to know whether I should be paid more like a tester or more like a developer. Also, while I don't officially manage anyone, I think I deserve some credit for the work I've done with new hires in guiding them along their way. After all, I'm taking work off of the boss's hands by doing so.

Anyway, it's obvious that I feel like I'm doing more than I'm getting paid for. But, being that I have been on the job for 2 years, would it be considered premature to be asking for a promotion or a raise? If I do ask for something, what should I ask for? Something higher than what I expect to get, or something lower? I don't want to give the wrong impression to my employer because other than the pay, I enjoy my job. Furthermore, I don't want to embarrass myself by going into this knowing nothing of what I can reasonably do about this.

What salary would be expected for a person in my position in California? How little is too little for what I do? Are there any good resources out there for this? I know, too many questions! Thank you for any guidance you can give me.

What's worse, being at a job for too long or not long enough?

doppleradar — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 08:53:55 -0800

What's worse, being at a job for too long or not long enough? Does it look worse to stay at the same company w/ no advancement/raise for 2+ yrs, or to make a move somewhere else but not stay there longer than a year?

I'll be applying to Law School in Dec 2008 (exactly 1 yr after I graduate), but don't want to shoot my resume in the foot if the worst-case happens and I don't get in anywhere good.

Should I stay or should I go?

sperose — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 23:45:47 -0800

Currently working two jobs and wondering if I should settle for a dead-end job? I'm currently working two jobs.

I've been at Job A for about 8 months or so and currently make $8.50/hour as an assistant manager. Work environment is boring, but not hostile. However, my coworkers are slackers and leave most of the work up to me to be done during the slow times. The general manager doesn't seem to care about enforcing rules he sets up. The corporate office bitches about extremely minor things constantly.

I've been at Job B for a little less than a month, making $9/hour at entry level shift work. Work environment is crazy shifts with constantly changing hours and indeterminate shift lengths. I like the work, but the crazy hours are keeping me sleep-deprived and possibly making my bad feelings* even worse.

Job A recently offered me a promotion, for $11/hour now until March if I take on a less desirable shift (same number of shifts per week, unless I choose to take more) and $12/hour in March if I am willing to run the place by myself.

Job B has promotion potential every 20 shifts, but it's apparently very difficult to get because they're often denied.

I'm currently finishing my Masters and will be done in early December. I have no other prospects although I've been flashing around my resume. Job A is my first 'real experience' kind of job since graduating from college, where I worked jobs for similar lengths of time.

The question is, should I take the promotion from Job A, even though I'll be finishing my Masters' degree soon and therefore, become more marketable**? Or should I continue with my original plans and leave Job A at the end of October (as I had planned to do when I first started working there in March) so I can focus on finishing my Capstone project for my degree?

Thanks in advance.

* It's probably depression, but I don't have the money to get officially diagnosed.
** I don't have any sort of field that I'm itching to go into and will probably just get some sort of secretarial government job to get by.

Another "how to get a raise" question.. with a twist!

srrh — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 02:52:19 -0800

I applied for a promotion that I did not get, but my company still wants to keep me in that position's "training program," which has the same responsibilities as the position, but without the pay raise. I work for a small company (about 30 employees), and while there have been ups and downs, I generally like my job and my work environment quite a lot. However, take the small size of the workplace, and the fact that it is dominated by women (there are two men in the office), and that leads to an, at best, tight-knit, and at worst, backstabbing and gossipy place to be. What I'm getting at is that it's very informal, and everyone knows everyone's business, for lack of better phrasing.

About a month ago, a space opened up for a supervisory position, which I applied for. Myself and three others were accepted into the "supervisor training program," and basically went through a bunch of rigamarole such as strange homework assignments and awkward group interviews, and today the new supervisor was announced.

It wasn't me, and I am ok with that; I thought the whole promotion process at this company was really strange to begin with, and to be honest, a lot of me was just relieved that it was over. But I was wrong. Our ops manager informed the three of us that were not selected that we were still going to be considered supervisors-in-training, and would be called on to supervise on days when the regular supervisors needed days off. And also that we would be required to be on call at all times in case someone called out. And also that we are required to chair meetings like the other supervisors. And also that we will have the responsibility of monitoring the other employees and writing their evaluations. And also that anytime we are on a shift that DOES have a supervisor, and the supervisor needs to delegate work, it will fall on us. And so forth and so on and so forth. (Basically a whole lot of "and also"s, I'm sure you noticed.)

Basically, we will have exactly the same responsibilities as a supervisor, but without the job title or the raise that comes along with it. I do really like the company I work for, but it is by FAR the worst paying job I have ever had -- I work there only because I like it so much, not for the money. Now, I am being asked to take on a whole lot of new responsibilities and be available at all times, and not being given anything in return.

This brings me back to my first paragraph; my work place is very informal and very gossipy. There is a lot of joking, sometimes to the point where it is hard to be taken seriously, and some of the higher ups joke around in ways that are hard to read and can sometimes even be hurtful (I have not had that problem personally but I've seen it many times in the office). I'm really not sure how to say to my ops manager that I would like a raise commensurate with my new responsibilities, and have her take me seriously. I hesitate to call her intimidating, as she isn't malicious in any way, but like I said above, she is a jokester, with a very sarcastic and dry sense of humor to an extreme -- it often overpowers the other parts of her personality. I am generally an extremely straightforward person, but saying to her, "I'd really like you to take me seriously about this," before I spoke to her about it would lead to the brush off and then her laughing about it with the other managers/supervisors, and things always get around.

Sorry for being so long-winded, I'm just trying as hard as I can not to leave out any pertinent info. I don't work Monday, but I will be seeing her Tuesday, and I would like to talk to her then rather than let this sit. I look forward to any advice you guys can give me about how to best approach this, and if I left out anything or you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks in advance!

Should I ask for a promotion?

gaiamark — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 09:40:24 -0800

My boss may be promoting me. Or not. Or he may be waiting for me to ask for it. What should I do? Background: I've been with this company for almost ten years - four in my current position. I am the only person who does my job, and while I am easily replaceable, I honestly do not believe that the boss would ever find someone who does it as well as I do for as little pay.

One of my direct supervisors is leaving his position in September. The last time one of my supervisors left (about a year ago), I flat out asked my boss if I could be promoted. He told me he would think about it, and ended up not mentioning it again and hiring from outside the company.

This time around, another exiting supervisor has recommended me to the boss, and has confided in me that he believes there will be no public advertisement of the job and that I am going to be promoted. I already possess much of the skill and knowledge necessary to the position, and the boss knows this. While the boss has seemed somewhat uncharacteristically friendly toward me lately, he has not given even one hint that would definitely indicate a pending promotion.

My question is this: Would it be a mistake to flat-out ask him for the promotion this time? I've never been in a supervisory position, so I don't know how a supervisor would react. He may be planning to promote me, or not, or perhaps he is just considering it. If I should ask, then when would be a good time, and how might I best go about it?

(Announcement of the supervisor leaving came almost two weeks ago. I would think that a promotion would have to come in time for me to be trained by the outgoing supervisor, which is why every passing day makes me more anxious and doubtful.)

I've searched and not found something close to my situation, and I'm interested in individual experience and anecdotes from people who have either been in my position, or in my boss's position. I also trust MeFites more than Google. Please, lend me your wisdom!

Help me ask for a promotion!

justonegirl — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 13:04:20 -0800

I'm looking for some sort of template for requesting a promotion at work. It has been suggested to me that I submit a proposal to be promoted at work. The promotion would be to a newly created position, but one ranked below the one for which they're considering hiring outside the company. (In other words, I'm trying to both convince them that a mid-level position is a better option, and that I am the best person for that position.) I don't know what format to use or even where to begin.

I'm already doing the work of the mid-level position and have had great success. However, please be aware that putting in for the senior-level job is not a possibility. I want my proposal to be taken seriously (it's going right to the CEO) and I can't waste anyone's time by clamoring for an executive role.

One other thing -- this isn't about money at all. It's partly about wanting some more recognition of my efforts (through a better title) but also wanting more challenges and also feeling I can contribute more in a higher position. Just in case that affects anyone's answer. I'm not looking to make demands, more to inspire more confidence in my abilities and to better benefit the company in the long run.