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How To Get Back When You Are Bypassed In Promotion

Aiming for a promotion you know you truly deserve is the best reward in your career. I have had my fair share in pains and victories in promotion. I have also been bypassed a couple of times but those painful defeats only taught me two things: develop yourself and get even!

Yes, I said it. Get E-V-E-N! I am not talking about the kind of vendetta where you strike back menacingly. You can get back without having to resort to malicious acts of revenge. This is where developing yourself will come into picture.

I remember getting bypassed on a promotion few years ago to someone who did not meet the competency qualifications nor have the decision making skills of a supervisor nor even have the ability to express himself/herself properly. The person even told me that he/she stuttered the whole duration of the interview and did not even answer some of the questions. I was told that I did well in the whole process but during the interview, I didn't highlight much on my examples. So, the competencies were definitely scratched out in favor of the other candidate who fumbled her/his way throughout the selection process. I was confident that somehow, I had the chance. Well, the person they selected was the one who fumbled. Then it hit me. It was actually in the bag even from the get-go. The one who got ahead of me was the "boss' friend." It was public knowledge that the boss and the selected candidate were buddies; as in they share lunch food and go out together in social events. However, I didn't want to harp on those info even if they were true. I didn't want to be the bitter one. So what I did was to get even positively.

I drew my plans and started on myself. I had to reflect on myself and what I am capable of. I asked myself, "What is it in me that I have to improve to be worthy of a boss' nod? " And I was surprised to know that the answer was very simple - improve. And I did that by doing the following:

• enroll in online courses
• took short couses via distance learning in universities
• take on more responsibilities above my grade level
• made myself more visible by not avoiding the bosses in the lift or in the pantry
• offered to help in projects and report generations
• volunteered to coach the new temporary staff and OJTs
• honed my communication skills and confidence by facilitating meetings with the top honchos and pitching my suggestions and proposals to them

However, before you cast your judgment, I didn't turn myself into a leach. If that is what you're thinking. That will remain to be a taboo in my way to success. I did all those things sincerely because I wanted to improve myself more than anything else. So that when the next promotion comes along, I am ready. I did it for myself personally and professionally.

I didn't bother to ask how the other candidate has been. I moved on. Besides, my revenge was sweet and victorious. I got the nod eventually.

I always remind myself that the sweetest victory is when you become successful and watch those who served injustice to your career make a mess out of theirs. I wouldn't want to see them go down the drain but if karma finds its way, it does bite real hard in the bum and that hurts!

So, if you get bypassed, just get even positively.

Training and Personal Development Plan

My new managers are very supportive of their staff's personal and career development. We are asked by the management to submit our personal development plans for both short and long term to encourage us in acquiring more skills and learning new things for our advancement.

I am excited to enroll in instructor-led courses over the span of 1 year and do online training on the side. I did not have this kind of opportunity from the previous department so I am heeding the advice of my superiors to take advantage of the support the whole management is giving us to make us better persons and more professional and skilled.

Our online courses offer many interesting modules that will enhance my skills and give me more knowledge on other subject matters relevant to the operations of the company. Not only that, we have our Learning Resource Centre which is open to all staff. There are reading materials, media resources and other references we can borrow for the purpose of learning and training. I can also check other resources like journals, articles written on personal and professional development and free audio books online.

The chance to grow in my new department is very promising. My dormant career has finally awaken and is now taking a different; albeit, interesting twist on my career goals. I have better chances of moving around, acquiring new skills, knowledge and experience which may eventually lead (crossing my fingers and praying really hard) to an upgrade in my position.

Getting Noticed At Work

Ever since I joined the corporate bondage, I never really had that particular moment I could claim to fame. I am not in the management level but I had made peace with that fact a long time ago. I feel my personality will never be right for higher management.

Things changed in my career when I moved to my current department. It is a big department and moving around one-level up is quite normal there. I know some who began as temp staff and became one grade higher than me as soon as they were absorbed by the company. So, moving around here for promotion is not difficult.

I don't intend to shine where I will have to step on other people. That's not my game and I play fair. However, I am still feeling a bit unsure on how to reach about the attention I am getting from everyone. It started when I had a meeting yesterday and I prepared the minutes (even if it was not my job to do that) in a formal and professional manner.  Only few people were supposed to see that but my immediate boss told me how impressed the recipients were and that everyone was talking about it already. I thought to myself  that it was a minutes of the meeting, how complex could composing one be? But I am truly grateful that people are appreciating and noticing me in a positive light.

Some of them called me to say the minutes was so precise and down to the last details. Others asked for a copy and pointers on how I did it. I know it was just a simple thing to do but I guess, when I poured my heart on doing something, it does show.

I am thankful and appreciative as well for the opportunities coming my way in this new department.  I still have a lot of learning and digesting of information to do but I am happy that I am getting the support I have always wanted  from where I came from.

I am not in a hurry to move up. I am not even planning on that but if new opportunities present themselves in the appropriate time then I may consider. For now, I just want to soak it all in and enjoy the pat on the back (no stabbing please! hahaha).

Moving here is still one of the best decisions I have made in my career. I just have to play my cards right.

My Forthcoming Giveaway

Hi bloggers out there!
Please join my 40th Birthday Bash giveaway soon! It will be open on 15 February, at 12 midnight, UAE local time. This giveaway is open to all bloggers out there with valid postal address and Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Come back on this blog on Wednesday for the official mechanics and prizes. Good luck to the lucky participatns!

The Corporate Ladder - Is it Worth the Climb?

I have been working for nearly 2 decades now. I am beginning to feel the wear and tear of working donkey years in the corporate scene. These past few days have been enlightening and thought-provoking for me as I begin to unravel the realities of my career advancement. Why did I say that? Well, no matter what I do now, I can never seem to please the authorities around me. And why did I say that again? Just hear me out...

I just had an unpleasant performance review recently. I honestly thought that I had improved well in the gray areas highlighted to me by my supervisor during the last performance review. I was confident that this review would merit me a better rating. Imagine my shock when I saw my review. It was completely the opposite of my expectation. Talk about having false hopes! I will no longer go through the nitty-gritty details of the review but to cut the chase, it was not what I wanted to see if I plan to apply for a promotion or career advancement. Simply put, my chances for growth has been stumped.

So, let me get back to my question at hand, is it really worthy to climb the corporate ladder? I know many of you will surely say yes if you are driven by ambition, money, power and motivated by your bosses or for any other personal reasons. However, this is my conclusion on my view as a career woman-mom-wife who has been tied in a bondage for the last 18 years of her life in the cut-throat world we call the Office. NO. Let me say that again, NO, it is not worth the climb for me.

I just realized how blessed I am for having a stress-free life after office hours, a family and a house I can come home to, a daughter who keeps me up on my toes and a husband who still has the time to hear my woes and glee. NO, it is not worth climbing when my drive for success compromises the quality time I spend with my family. NO, it is not worth the climb when my relationship with the people who TRULY matters is affected by the demands of the work force. NO, it is not worth every money I will get if I come home to a daughter who I don't have time to nurture and guide, a husband I will be too tired to take care of, a house I can never clean because of weariness, friends I cannot see and call, activities I have to cancel and life I have to turn my back to. NO, if it means I will spend lesser quality time with the people I love and more time in a place where every dealing is superficial. NO. It is not worth it at all. So, I rescind my dream of any promotion, career growth or a shot at a managerial post because what matters to me is the quality of life I will live when I leave the corporate world. Surely, no amount of money nor company accolades can top that.

I do know that I have far exceeded my Lord's expectation by giving the very best in what I do with the sincerity of my heart. I may not get the promotion I deserve here but in HIS eyes, I am a winner.

Ending Recession

Can someone please tell me when this recession is going to end? Reason why I asked is that, it has made people feel gloomy, plans are shelved, no moving around the work-force, no resignations, no temporary jobs available, no promotions, BUT same old issues to deal with.

Can someone please tell me that this recession will end very, very soon???

Working my Way Up

I owe my current company big time in terms of fulfilling my dreams of seeing the world, experiencing other culture, meeting a lot of people of various nationalities and recognizing my efforts. Back in the Philippines, much as I excel in the kind of work that I do, I was never noticed. I did notice that they focus more on people who barely know what they were doing. They gave away positions which were meant to people who really deserved to their favorites. Let's just say, I was never a favorite.

So, when I left that company, I told myself that I'd one day go back there and prove all of them (my bosses and colleagues who thought I was nothing...) that they made a huge mistake for letting me go. Soon, when I landed my first stint abroad, I was already given assignments and projects which I had no knowledge of but because my boss knew and believed in me. I had several promotions since then in less the time compared to the whole tenure I had back in my old company. I was given a company-wide recognition - Twice! What does that prove then? I was and still is a worthy employee. Sadly though, my former bosses in the Philippines never gave me a chance to prove my worth. Anyway, I don't feel bitter about it. I am happy that I had moved on and is working my way up again. I am learning new skills and taking on projects despite my current work load. I'm actually blowing my trumpet this time. I am done sitting back and being a martyr and other people get noticed. I had been passive while I was in the Philippines and being in a multi-cultural work environment, you learn to fend for yourself. It's a jungle out here ;)

I am ready to move another step higher. I hope I get promoted soon... Wish me luck!