Throughout your career, you will want opportunities to advance. Whether you work in fabrication or any other role within the marine industry, advancement is the force that keeps you growing as a person and a professional. But asking for a promotion can be intimidating, especially if you’ve never done it before. So how can you ask your boss for a promotion? Here are a few steps to get you started.
1. Prepare ahead of time.
Never enter a negotiation unprepared. If you want a promotion, it’s time to do some homework. Determine the job you want, the added responsibilities, the typical pay rate for that role in your area, and how to position yourself as the best candidates. Put together this information to present when talking with your bosses.
2. Determine the best time.
There may never be a perfect time to ask for a promotion, but it also shouldn’t be a spur of the moment decision. Look at the current workload and your manager’s schedule to determine the best time to ask.
3. Request a meeting.
Once you know when the next step is to ask your manager for a meeting to discuss this. You shouldn’t walk into their office and blindside them. Instead, call or email asking if you can have a few moments of their time to discuss something. This will allow them to prepare and to set aside a block of time to devote to your conversation.
4. Provide data to back you up.
When talking about your experience and your desire for more responsibilities in the shipyard, be sure to use data to back up your position. How have you contributed so far? What has been the satisfaction level with your work? What research have you done to show why you should get a raise along with this new promotion?
5. Follow up after the meeting.
Once you’ve concluded the meeting, if a decision wasn’t made immediately, follow up. Give your boss a few days or a week to think about your discussion. Then you can approach to ask where they are in the decision-making process. You can also call or send an email depending on the overarching culture of the shipyard.
Work with a leader in shipyard staffing.
Are you looking for advancement in your marine industry career? Contact the recruiters at Hutco to learn more today.
