How to ask for a promotion

When you want a promotion, Lorraine K. Lee's most basic step is to actually tell your manager that this is your goal, rather than assuming they already know or will raise it for you. Simply saying it out loud makes it possible 1. Mel Robbins points out that hard work alone usually is not enough to move up, you have to be intentional and proactive about communicating your value, because busy managers may not see everything you do. A useful move is to go through your calendar and keep a log of the problems you solve, the tasks you quietly handle, and the ways you support the team 2. Rather than walking in with an ultimatum or focusing only on money, Vanessa Van Edwards suggests coming at it from the angle of understanding what your boss needs and how you can be more helpful and harder to replace, asking what is most valuable to them and how you can improve 3. It also helps to be strategic: know who is involved in the decision, start the conversation months before review cycles, and keep advocating for yourself.