Expert: Michele Dortch - 5/20/2008

Question
Hi Michele,

I have two kids (4 and 8) and work as a supervisor for a bank call center. I'm trying to get promoted to a senior manager position, but I'm having trouble. A couple years ago when I I applied for the position, I was passed up and the job was given to someone with fewer years of experience than me and less education. The job is open today because the person they gave the job to couldn't handle the responsibilities. I know I'm the best person for the job and my job performance in the last four years has been outstanding. But my boss doesn't seem to take me seriously. I feel like I'm being ignored because I'm a single mom (mostly men are promoted to this position) and they don't take me seriously.

What can I do to improve my chances of getting the job?

Answer
Thank you for your questions Lisa.

There's no doubt about it -- it's becoming increasingly difficult for working mothers to advance in the traditional corporate workplace. This is especially true in corporate cultures where putting in long hours at the office and maintaining adequate "face time" is a norm. As a working mother, you're faced with the conflicting demands of your employer's needs and your family's needs.

Despite this, there are some strategies you can take to position yourself for advancement:

1. Understand the needs of your boss and the company that employs you.
Sometimes the drive to get a promotion shifts your attention from your employer's needs to yours. You want the title, responsibilities and the increase in pay, but do you know what your company and boss want? It's important when presenting yourself for a promotion that you understand how the position you seek fits into the overall strategic objectives for your company. After all, many companies view employees as "human resources" and as such, they must quantify the value of those resources. Consider this: If you're delivering stellar results in your current role, your boss may not want to move you into a more challenging position where he'll have to pay you more AND worry about losing the results you achieved in your previous role. This may not be the reason your boss has declined your request for a promotion, but the point is, you need to dig deeper to discover the root cause. Once you know the root cause, you can address it.

2. Recognize your motivation for wanting the promotion.
Why do you want a promotion? Of course, most people want to enjoy a natural progression of increased responsibility and compensation at work. But, what is driving your desire to move to the next step? Maybe you need more money or a position as a senior manager offers greater flexibility and autonomy that you seek. Or maybe you're just tired of working with your "negative ninny" teammates. Regardless of your motivation, it's important to recognize it and then put it in your back pocket. The bottom line is that your employer doesn't care too much about your motivation. They want to know whether you can fulfill a need they have, and that needs goes far beyond just filling a position. Be sure to do your research so you can truly understand the needs of your employer before asking for a promotion.

3. Keep track of your success
I'm not sure of the size of your company, but even if you work for a small business of less than 10 people, chances are no one is paying attention to all the great things you do. This isn't because they don't care, because they do! The truth is, they are just as busy as you are and have just as many distractions from their personal life as you have. So, when it's time to ask for a promotion you must be armed with your "brag book." This is simply a portfolio (or file folder on your PC) that keeps track of results you have achieved for the business. The key here is RESULTS, both quantitative (i.e. money saved) and qualitative (i.e. customer satisfaction surveys). Your portfolio helps provide evidence of the track record of successful results you bring to the company.

I hope this helps Lisa. Best of luck to you on your career advancement