Jobs Guru: ‘I’m gutted promotion I deserved went to much less skilled colleague’

Reader John expected a promotion when a senior manager left – but was devastated when it was handed to somebody else. Our Jobs Guru James Innes is here with some advice

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Question:

Dear James,

A senior manager recently left the human resources department I work in. As the longest-serving member of staff, and the one who puts in the most hours, I was expecting to be a shoo-in for a promotion.

Instead, it was given to another member of staff who has only been with the company a couple of years. I’m furious about this but also upset and disappointed. I feel the company doesn’t value me and my hard work at all.

I was close to handing in my notice, but my wife told me to wait until I was calmer and then speak to my boss about why I was passed over.

How should I tackle the subject with my boss?

John, Bristol

Answer:

This is evidently a very difficult and very unpleasant situation to find yourself in, John – and, quite possibly, also very unfair.

Your wife is, of course, absolutely right. Don’t rush into anything. Take your time. Calm down – and try to think this through rationally and logically, putting all of the emotions you must be experiencing to one side.

There is, at least in my professional opinion, only really one course of action available to you. The first step is, yes, to speak to your boss.

You have a right to express how you feel (politely and diplomatically without burning all your bridges!) and to put your case as to why you felt this promotion should have gone to you. Why did they choose your colleague instead?

However, your boss is in a position such that it’s pretty much impossible to ‘rectify’ the situation, even if they want to. Therefore, unless another acceptable position is available – or likely to become available in the near future – you find yourself really rather stuck.

I regret that all you can do is either accept the situation as it is – potentially hoping that this other member of staff won’t be up to the task and may have to move on before too long or, alternatively, that some other opportunity for promotion might arise – or, quite simply, look to move on in your career.

I can’t read your boss’s mind, so it’s impossible for me to know how they will react. There are any number of possibilities. But, even if they express sympathy – and maybe even regret – it seems clear to me that, career-wise, you need to be saying to yourself: new job!

Top Tip:

Being unhappy in your job can have a devastating effect not only on your performance at work but also on your personal life. If you’re not happy – and can’t ‘fix’ matters – then it’s probably time to move on!

Spotlight On: Promotion

It’s a fact of life that getting any kind of promotion normally requires a bit of effort. If you want a promotion then you’re going to need to justify your request – and you’re going to need to do so persuasively.

The main thrust of your pitch should be to communicate to your employer how you have developed in ways which now warrant your promotion to a more senior position. The message you’re sending is that you’ve mastered the requirements of your current role and, as a consequence, it is now no longer a sufficient challenge for you.

Don’t fall into the trap of underselling yourself. Approach your application as forcefully as you would if you were applying for a job with a different organisation. There’s nothing wrong with blowing your own trumpet – because you can’t rely on anyone else to do so!

Get a head start in your job hunt with James’ new book, The Job You’ve Always Wanted – out now from Pearson at £16.99.

Our Jobs Guru, James Innes, is a best-selling careers author and founder of the world’s leading group of professional CV and resume writers.