The Quickest Way To Get Promoted

 One of the most interesting conversations that came up during my orientation period concerned the importance of annual evaluations, and how they factored into a government employee’s career development.  My HR technician made sure to emphasize that while performing well in the job you were hired for was admirable, it would in no way guarantee that a promotion would be forthcoming!

Her words were surprising at first, but I quickly came around to her way of thinking after a short explanation.  In a manager’s eyes, performing competently isn’t necessarily grounds to promote a government employee;  it only means that the employee is meeting his or her expectations.  In my HR tech’s opinion, the quickest way to get promoted is to take on a challenging role at the next highest level of responsibility, and demonstrate that you’re at least open to advancement opportunities.

I took some time to consider her advice, and I found myself making some revisions to my initial career plan because of it. When it comes to my career I’m generally a pretty cautious person, and I try to avoid biting off more than I can chew.  As a government employee, though, that mindset would actually end up holding me back from advancement!  With that in mind, I did my best to step out of my personal comfort soon as soon as possible, by challenging myself to take on additional roles.  These included:

                -Volunteering to lead a clean-up committee, so that our facility would get put back in order after each day’s classes;

                -Building my network by meeting at least three new people in the class each day, and committing to memory some personal detail about them;

                -and keeping a log of the group’s instructors and facilitators, along with their contact information, in the hope that I’d be able to reach out to them in the future.

These are some very small steps, to be sure, but they represent a solid beginning for my government career.  Just like with any other new activity, though, the important thing is to simply get started.   Excellence is a habit, which is why it’s most important to just do your best and keep an open mind.  Remember, there are very few guarantees when you step out of your comfort zone and take on a leadership role.  You probably won’t do as well as you’d hoped on your first time out of the gate, but the most important thing (and the thing that your boss will remember!) is that you agreed to take a risk, and that you gave it your best shot.