"Ask Brianna" is a Q&A column for 20-somethings. I'm here to answer your questions about how to manage money, find a job and pay off student loans -- all the real-world stuff no one taught us how to do in college.
I've been at my job for more than a year, and I'd like to move up and make more money. How do I get a promotion?
Out here in the Wild West of the real world, there's no graduation to look forward to. There's no end date when your hard work will pay off and you'll lie on the beach, basking in the sun and the promise of your bright future.
A promotion is kind of like a work graduation. But you'll have to make it happen on your own schedule -- and you'll celebrate it under fluorescent office lighting instead.
You won't get promoted after a few days or weeks on the job, and thankfully, we
. But research shows that advancing at work in your 20s is crucial so your motivation -- and wages -- don't stagnate.
"We see a large proportion of your lifetime earnings growth happens in your 20s," says Matthew Bidwell, associate professor of management at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. "If you're in your early to mid-20s and you're stuck doing exactly the same thing for two or three years, that is a problem, actually."
Now let's get you that promotion. Here's how.
Step 1: Work like it's finals week
You must kill it day after day in order for your work to get noticed. That doesn't mean skipping bathroom breaks or never taking a day off. It means building a strong reputation by meeting deadlines, following through on promises, acting professionally, and showing your work yields results.
Make yourself stand out by volunteering to fill a need. Create an onboarding guide if you've noticed your team lacks an organized way to train new hires. Research sleek newsletter templates and present a few ideas to your boss if your marketing emails need an upgrade.
Offer your help respectfully, in the spirit of helping the company do its best work, and make sure your contributions are visible to your boss. When you take on additional tasks and excel at them, you're demonstrating that you can handle more responsibility, and that it's a safe bet for your manager to entrust you with more to do.
"The easiest promotion decisions are the ones where somebody is already doing the higher level job," Bidwell says.
Step 2: Know what you want in your next role
Since many companies don't promote employees at regular intervals, it's up to you to know where you want to go and make a plan to get there. That could mean
, both within the company and outside it. Ask senior employees at your company, former bosses or alumni from your college about their career trajectories, and come up with a general idea of what your next step should be.
Say you're a communications assistant at a nonprofit, but your long-term goal is to be director of external affairs. You know you need experience as a manager, or experience within development to learn about fundraising. Choose to go in one of those directions so you can decide what extra responsibilities to take on in the meantime.
In either case, tell your boss about your career goals, and work together to come up with a career development plan. Include the skills you want to work on, how you'll do it, and when you'll check in on progress. Your manager will see you've taken ownership of your career, and now you'll be on his or her radar if a position that fits your goals comes up.
Step 3: Make your case
The idea of tooting your own horn might make you squirm. But no one will know what a top-notch employee you are unless you tell them, so it's important to make your boss aware of your wins as they happen.
Forward a particularly grateful email from a client or send a weekly wrap-up note with your strong sales numbers. Create a label or folder in your email account for past initiatives you're proud of and positive responses from your co-workers. You'll have several solid examples of ways you've brought value to the company when it's time to ask for a promotion.
Whether there's an opening at your company that you're interested in or you're ready to move up a level in your current job, be direct. Schedule a meeting to let your boss know you'd like to be considered and why you're right for the role. If it's a stretch, perhaps you can start on a trial basis or work with your boss on a training plan to get up to speed in the first few months.
Hopefully it won't be sudden, because by now you'll have talked to your boss about your career goals and you'll have taken on extra responsibilities that readied you for the role you've chosen. You'll need to make your case and negotiate your salary, but with all that planning behind you, you've got this.
Send a question about postgrad life to askbrianna@nerdwallet.com and I'll send back my best answer. I might include it in a future column, and then you'll be famous. Sort of.
Brianna McGurran is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Follow her on Twitter: @briannamcscribe.
This article was written by NerdWallet and was originally published by Forbes.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.