Dear Jobs Guru: ‘I resent the fact my younger colleague was promoted ahead of me’
Reader Marie has a bee in her bonnet since a workmate 10 years younger got the promotion she was after. Our Jobs Guru James Innes is here with some advice…
It’s frustrating to feel like you’ve been passed over for a promotion(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Dear James
I’ve been at my company for eight years. I work hard, know the job inside out and have always had good reviews.
Recently a colleague ten years younger than me was promoted ahead of me. I’m struggling not to feel resentful.
Surely experience should count for something?
Marie, Peterborough
Answer:
Experience does count. Just not as much as people think.
Promotions rarely go to the person who’s simply been around the longest. They go to the person who looks ready for the next level. And that’s where a lot of hardworking people get stuck.
Being dependable is valuable. Managers love a safe pair of hands. Someone who hits deadlines, keeps things running and doesn’t create headaches.
But here’s the awkward truth. If you quietly do your job well for years, you can become too useful to move. Meanwhile someone else – often younger, sometimes louder – is taking on visible challenges. Leading projects. Speaking up in meetings. Acting like they already belong at the next level.
Managers often promote the person who already looks like the answer to tomorrow’s problems.
Fair? Not always. But promotions aren’t loyalty awards.
If they were, half the country would be managing the place by now.
Working hard matters. But if nobody sees leadership potential in what you’re doing, your effort may keep you comfortable rather than moving you forward.
Top Tip:
If you want promotion, start behaving like someone already at that level. Take ownership of bigger problems, not just more tasks.
Spotlight On: The ‘Reliable Person’ Trap
Every workplace has someone who quietly keeps everything working. Problems solved. Deadlines met. Clients happy. Systems running.
Managers rely on these people heavily. But there’s a downside. When someone becomes the person holding everything together, moving them suddenly creates a gap.
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 .
