5 Signs Youre Never, Ever Getting a Promotion

5 Signs Youre Never, Ever Getting a Promotion Does it feel like youre never getting a promotion at your job? While its normal for your career to slow down from time to time, its also important to be aware of the signs that the stagnation isnt temporary.Why is it so tricky to tell the difference? In part, because promotions take time, even under the best of circumstances. You should expect to have to prove yourself to your employer and to do excellent work over a period of time. Simply hitting your goals likely wont be enough youll have to surpass expectations in order to move up.But even that might bedrngnis be enough. Consistently excellent work wont get you very far if theres nowhere to go, for example, or if your boss isnt able to appreciate your achievements.So, how can you tell whether youre experiencing a brief pause in your progress or a full stop in your career? Learn the signs that youre never getting a promotion at your current job, and save yourself time and trouble.1. You feel like an island.Are you always the last to know whats going on at work? If you feel out of the loop, you might be off the path to advancement. At Entrepreneur, Lucas Miller explains why its a bad sign when your desk is a desert islandPeople come and go around you, projects are assigned, problems are discussed but you feel like an outsider whos just watching it all happen. Youre consistently out of the loop the last one to hear about whats going on in the officeThis is bad news, because it means that you arent viewed as someone with value to offer the company. Maybe your boss dislikes you, maybe he or she just sees you as a desk-fillerbut whatever the reason, rest askoranversd that when promotion time comes, you wont be on the list.2. Youre only after mora money and it shows.Theres nothing wrong with wanting to earn a promotion and a highersalary. But, when thats your only motivation, other important things, like engagement and passion, are forced to take a backseat. And that w ont make a great impression on the powers that be.If you only want to be promoted because you want to make more money, you probably wont ever get what youre after. Higher earnings can be one of your goals, just not your primary motivation. Promotions generally go to folks who wholeheartedly engage with the duties and responsibilities of their job.3. Your gut is trying to tell you something.It pays to trust your instincts. Your gut is probably telling you a lot about where you stand at work. If you feel like youll never be promoted, youre probably picking up on something maybe your bosss body language or maybe a general vibe in the office. (Just be sure that youre worthiness-through-body-language rel=noopener noreferrer target=_blankcommunicating trustworthiness through your body language. This will serve you well in your career no matter what happens next.)Dont ignore the signs when your gut is telling you that youll never be promoted. But, you shouldnt rest everything on those ins tincts either. If this is the only factor on the list that applies to you, you may be just misjudging things.4. Youre willing to leave if it doesnt happen immediately.Being excellent at your job isnt always enough to earn you a promotion all by itself. It takes time to build a relationship and trust with your employer. So, even if youre absolutely amazing at your job, you probably wont be offered a promotion if youre brand new.A survey conducted earlier this year found that generation Z and millennial workers are likely to ask for, and expect, a promotion during their first year at a job. In fact, 75% of generation Z said theyd expect a promotion within the first year of employment. Thirty-two percent even said theyd expect one during the first six months. But, in many cases, those expectations are unrealistic.If you expect to move up the ladder too soon and you are willing to leave if you dont, you could be sealing your own fate. Youll obviously never get promoted if you resign bef ore giving it some time.5. The company is in trouble.Your employer isnt in a position to promote anyone if the company is having financial trouble. When corporate ladder is collapsing, its tough to move up the ranks. Your employer isnt in a position to increase salaries if theyre concerned about trying to keep the business afloat.If youre concerned that your company could be in serious trouble, be on the lookout for some of the telltale signs your company is going under. Lack of new clients and low sales numbers are only part of the equation. If you start to notice more employee turnover, or a lack of transparency about how business is going from the higher-ups, be on guard. There probably isnt much of a future for you with a company that isnt thriving.What should you do when you think your career has come to a standstill?Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you havent found it yet, keep looking. Dont settle. As with all matters of the heart, youll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Dont settle. Steve JobsIf youve done some soul-searching and have decided that youre probably never getting a promotion at your current job, its time to start to think about next steps. But, dont do anything too rash. There are a few important factors to keep in mind in order to determine how best to proceed from hereMaintain a list of accomplishments. Think about what youve done exceptionally well in your current job. Generate a list of ansicht accomplishments and be sure to update it as needed. You can bring your list the next time you sit down with your boss to discuss your future. And, if you do end up deciding that its best to move on, you can use your list of accomplishments to help you update your resume.Questi on your assumptions.Keep in mind that your assumptions about your status with your employer could be wrong. You may be misreading their cues or misunderstanding the situation in other ways. Its important to remember that youre not a mind reader. When you guess about your bosss opinion of you, about your opportunities for advancement, about whos likely to be promoted next you set yourself up for misunderstandings and poor communication.Talk with your boss. Does your boss know that you want to be promoted? Have you ever actually sat down and had a conversation about your hopes and goals for the future? If you havent, now is as good a time as any. You may feel anxious at first, but there are ways to talk with your boss about yourcareer goals. And, its absolutely essential that you do so. Dont make any big decisions until youre sure that your boss knows where you stand.Work with a mentor or coach.Working with a career coach or a mentor can make a huge difference when you find yourself at a professional fork in the road. Having someone else, someone that you trust, to bounce ideas off of can go a really long way, especially if you ask the right questions. So, consider checking in with a trusted mentor before making any bold moves.Most likely, if you feel as though youll never be promoted at your current job for long enough, youll eventually start to think about moving on. Theres absolutely nothing wrong with that. Youll be in good company. According to a 2018 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the typical worker changes jobs 12 times over the course of their career. The average tenure for employees is now just 4.2 years.You deserve to be happy at work. The average partie spends more than 90,000 hours at work over the course of their lifetime. Its only natural to want to encounter new opportunities along the path. If you truly know that youll never, ever be promoted at your current job, its certainly worth considering making a change. Gina Belli--This art icle originally appeared on PayScale.