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What Kinds of Workers Always Get Ignored Come Promotion Time?

Cecile Peterkin -- Want to achieve more? Be successful? Move up in the workplace? Good! Here's what not to do!

In any workplace, it is quite noticeable how many employees are constantly getting ignored for promotions while there are those who are always being considered for higher positions. Even as a new member of the workforce, you must have your eyes set on climbing to the top. You may find a number of tips out there that will help you get noticed for promotion, but it is important that you realize how your attitude and behavior at work will affect how your future employers will regard you.

Here are the things you can do to ruin your chances of getting promoted at work:

1. Doubt yourself all the time

Self-doubt is considered as one of the primary causes of career failures and chaos. If you are indecisive and cannot believe in yourself enough, you will surely go nowhere in your own career. It is vital that you learn how to stop your inner critic from taking away every bit of your self-confidence. Just think about how hard it would be for others to believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself.

2. Engage in gossip

If you are someone who loves talking about other people or other issues that don’t matter, this could be interpreted as you not having the character and skills that can make you an excellent leader. Stop paying attention to gossip and spend more time assessing your responsibilities and priorities in the workplace. This way, not only will you be productive, but you will also improve your credibility at work.

3. Don’t care about your work

If you are someone who doesn’t care much about what you do in the workplace, you can’t expect your boss and your colleagues to care about you either. While it won’t necessarily cause you to lose your job if you’re merely getting by, there is no way you will experience advancement in your career if you don’t pay enough attention and put energy into what you do. If you always feel like there is a better place out there for you and your current job doesn’t deserve your diligence, you may as well quit your job and stop wasting your time in a place you don’t desire to grow professionally.

4. Be very sensitive

Especially if you should start from the bottom position, you should be prepared to hear criticisms and feedback not only from your boss, but also from your coworkers. If you are not good at handling criticisms, you will surely have a hard time adjusting and learning. It is important that you accept that there’s so much room for you to still grow. This will show everyone that you are always ready for bigger roles and responsibilities.

5. Be a mere follower

While it is vital that you become a good follower, your career paths will go nowhere if you remain just a follower. If you want to stand out from the rest, then you need to be extra aggressive in producing fresh ideas on how your organization may be more successful.

Cecile Peterkin is a certified career and retirement coach, and a registered member of the Career Professionals of Canada and the International Coach Federation. She is also the Founder and Senior Career Strategist at Cosmic Coaching Center, provider of career and life management services for middle managers and mid-career professionals across Canada, United States and Europe.

© 2014 Cecile Peterkin

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