Can this employee obtain a promotion from his current employer or must he move to a different company for successful career advancement?
Reader Question: A young man who is 27 years old has been working for a large company for 3 years. He would like to move up within the company but he tells me that he will probably have to go to work for another company in order to move up, that his company (and most others) look outside when they hire. Is this true? If so, why is that? It seems like loyalty and knowledge of the company should count for something.
My Response: The young man needs to make sure that he has let his boss and other important people at his company know that he is anxious to take on more responsibility and to continue growing and learning in his career. He won't be noticed if he doesn't communicate with the powers that be. Will he move up at the firm? That will depend on how his work, career potential, relationships, and congruence with the company culture are perceived.
Most companies have an internal posting and application process that allows them to consider internal candidates for positions first. I can't speak about his company's practices, but this is pretty standard as good companies want to retain their best employees. They won't retain them if they perceive no opportunity. So, he should talk to Human Resources or his boss about their internal job posting practices.
He also needs to ask if career planning or pathing is part of their appraisal or review system and participate if it is. A good relationship with his boss should also generate opportunities to discuss his career aspirations. These discussions should also tell him where he needs to improve, obtain more experience, take classes, or whatever is necessary for moving up. He needs to enlist his boss's help in accomplishing these.
If he likes his company, these are steps he needs to take before looking elsewhere. In this day and age, a company would be way behind the times if they only looked at external candidates.
But, he must be proactive to be noticed. These ideas may provide the opportunity to move up where he works now. I'm not sure what created the impression he has of companies, but this would be short-sighted thinking on the part of the firm.
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Yes, it’s really true.
When we want to take on higher responsibilities with increment, or promotion it is very necessary to communicate with the concerned authorised person.