Skipped Over for a Promotion? Don’t Let Your Career Stall

Watching a promotion you’ve worked for go to someone else can be angering, frustrating and disappointing. Not only do you miss the benefits of the promotion, your plan for your career has suffered a setback.

It’s important to respect your feelings, but don’t let them mire you in resentment. Instead, use this energy to plan the next step.

Here’s how:

Find out why you were skipped over.

Ask your supervisor, or those responsible for the decision, why you were not chosen for the promotion. Avoid the urge to “vent”: Your goal is to gather information about your performance, so you can address the problem head-on.

Ask for specifics. If specifics are scant, make little sense or don’t exist, take note of this fact. It may mean you were skipped over not because your skills are lacking, but because your company’s system for granting promotions isn’t well-defined. If so, this system may continue to have negative effects on your career.

Make a plan.

If you have specific feedback on why you didn’t get the promotion, do what you can to address these issues. For instance, if the other person was more experienced or certified in a certain area, join teams that work in this area or sign up for a certification class.

While making your plan, consider the “big picture.” For instance, is this the first promotion you’ve missed, or is the loss becoming a pattern? Were you given reasons for the choice you can control, such as your current experience levels, or reasons you cannot, like seniority? This perspective can help you decide whether more work in your current position is worthwhile, or if a job change is required.

Seek allies.

A mentor at your current position can provide additional perspective on your work, as well as advice on positioning yourself for the next promotion cycle. Also, don’t hesitate to seek help from a recruiter who specializes in your field and industry. Your recruiter can provide “outside” perspective and may be able to help you find an employer who will provide the feedback and support you need to hit each of your career milestones on your schedule.

At FootBridge Energy Services, our recruiters can help you plan your next career step with connections to some of the best oil and gas industry jobs available. Contact us today to learn more.