Jeremy Kaplan
There is little that is more satisfying in life than landing that promotion at work to a position that you have had your eyes on for years. It is all very well having ambition in your professional life, but when it comes to getting where you want to be, what will set you apart from the rest is the skills that you possess. For this reason, we have put together a list of the six most important skills that employers look for when they assess a candidate’s suitability for managerial roles.
Willingness to Get Hands Dirty
The key to earning the respect of the people that you are in charge of is not being afraid to get stuck in. When there is a big deadline coming up, being an all-rounder who is competent in a wide range of areas is something that your superiors will see as plus against your name.
Even-Handedness
Another thing that employers will look at when considering an employee for a managerial role is even-handedness. It is well-known in management theory that favoritism can be a massive demotivating factor for a team. You need to demonstrate a capacity to treat everyone the same, no matter whether you are friends with them or not.
Leadership
It goes without saying that possessing leadership qualities counts in your favor when it comes to promotion. Employers will assess promotion candidates on their communication, integrity, accountability, resilience, vision and influence before they make any decision.
Autonomy
A large part of management is having the initiative and creativity to work around problems without constant supervision. Autonomy in this sense is one of the most sought after personality traits, and developing is a great way of signaling that you are ready to move up the management chain.
Humility
Having the good grace to accept one’s own limitations and hold your hands up and admit when you are wrong once in a while is a characteristic of all good leaders. You must show a good judge of when to delegate tasks others in your team who are more capable while you focus on what you are good at for the benefit of the whole.
Hard Work
The most important factor of all when it comes to gaining a promotion is hard work. Going the extra mile when the going gets tough is what separates those who are worthy of a promotion from those who are not. Putting in the extra effort is something that does not depend too much on your ability, but doing so is a sure-fire way to bring yourself to the attention of your superiors for the right reasons.
If you are looking for more advice on how to advance your career, you could try here. Meanwhile, try to work on developing in yourself the skills above. If you make a conscious effort to better yourself, your boss will definitely take note and put you in the ring when it comes to considerations about upcoming promotions.
