It’s not easy asking for a promotion at work. It’s even harder when you’re passed over for one. Although you may not have been offered a promotion due to factors beyond your control, there are steps you can take to get over the disappointment. Here are some guidelines.

Process Your Feelings

Give yourself time to process your feelings about not receiving the promotion. It’s normal to feel disappointment, frustration, sadness or other adverse emotions. Talk with a friend about what you’re experiencing. Let them help you work through the situation. Focus on processing everything and moving forward.

Assess Your Reasons

Ask yourself why you wanted the promotion. Perhaps you would’ve had your dream job or a better title. Maybe you wanted a salary increase or positive feedback. Use your reasoning to determine your next steps. For instance, if you desire advanced skills, look for ways to develop them. If you enjoy your work but want more income, you may want to find a new employer.

Evaluate Your Approach

Determine whether you took the best approach when asking for a promotion. For instance, if you’re doing the work outlined in your job description but not going above and beyond, you may not have deserved the promotion. Or, if you expected the promotion based on stellar job performance but didn’t provide a solid case for earning a promotion, you may need to do a better job next time. Perhaps you’re an introvert who needs to make more of an effort to connect with extrovert colleagues to show you get along well with others.

Remain Professional

Maintain professionalism at work. For instance, congratulate your colleague who received the promotion. Thank your manager for considering you. Avoid comparing yourself to whoever received the promotion. Continue doing all you can to add value to the company.

Request Feedback

Ask for constructive feedback on why you weren’t given the promotion. Perhaps you’re lacking a core skill you can gain through working on a new project or taking a class. Maybe your performance in a certain area needs improvement. If feedback is vague, ask specific questions to gather the information necessary to make yourself eligible for future promotions.

Plan Your Career Strategy

If you feel that you’ll continue to be passed over for promotions, begin searching for a new job. Think about where you want your career to head in the next year. Determine what your goals are and what you want to do more and less of. Use the information to determine which direction to take your job search in.

Partner with a Rolling Meadows Employment Agency

Include Arlington Resources in your job search. As a top Rolling Meadows employment agency, we offer complimentary access to top job search tools, an article and video library, professional resume review, career assessment programs and more through our Career Tools Portal. When you’re done, you can set up an interview with one of our experienced recruiters. Find out more today!