Before I made the switch to agency side, I was an ambitious young client side marketer at a much loved book retailer. Eager to get ahead, I wasted a lot of energy trying to impress anyone and everyone with my marketing prowess, which if I’m honest, may not have been quite as all knowing as I thought it was.
If only someone had informed me that that absolute best way to get ahead was to put my ego aside and get busy making my boss look good. If you only follow one of these tips, make it this one. There is no better way to ensure future promotion than to dedicate your working day to being your bosses most indispensable ally.
Make them look good at every opportunity, never undermine them to their superiors (even if it makes you look good in the process), and take pride every time they benefit from one of your ideas. It will pay off in the long run and what better way to get promoted, than by ensuring there is actually a position available for you, by moving your boss up the ladder.
2. Be the first in your team to arrive each day
Sadly not every incredible piece of work you do will get noticed, as much as you might like it to. But if there is one thing that hasn’t changed in office life, it’s that being the first to arrive each day will always demonstrate to the powers that be, that you are a hard working, dedicated individual that they should pay attention to.
The extra AM work hours will also help you get on top of your to do list and allow you to focus on important tasks without the interruptions of a busy office.
Your one on one times are one of the most important meetings you can have, so don’t waste a single one of them. If you don’t have a scheduled one on one, demand one. If you do, then demand constructive feedback and then dedicate yourself addressing every concern, improving every deficiency and doing more of the activities that earn praise.
Don’t forget to take meticulous notes, these will come in handy come performance appraisal time. I suggest keeping a dedicated journal for documenting all developmental discussions and reviewing it regularly to see how far you have come and remind yourself of what is important.
4. Read what your boss reads
This is a great tip for two reasons. Firstly, the chances are that your boss knows a thing or two about marketing and the books they have read (or podcasts they consume for that matter) are likely to be of great value to you in your role.
The second reason, is that it will give you a shared language that you can use when communicating to each other and allow you to better understand the values that they hold true. Start by asking for the book that has influenced them the most and then once you have read it, find an opportunity to share with them your own take aways. Chances are that this conversation will lead to more recommendations and you may even find in time you can return the favour with recommendations of your own. This is a great way to connect with your leader in a genuine way and will foster camaraderie that can only benefit you in the long run.
5. Bring solutions, not problems
When talking to managers or senior people at any level, there is no bigger annoyance than team members who come to them with a seemingly endless stream of problems. And there is no more surefire way to keep the “junior” tag forever, than to be seen as someone who can’t problem solve for themself.
Marketing as much as any industry seems to provide constant challenges, and as digital marketing in particular becomes increasingly complex, there will likely be ample times that your faced with a question to which you are not sure the answer.
But before you defer to your manager, take the time to research possible solutions for yourself. Best case, you will find the solution yourself and be smarter and more capable for the process. Worst case, you can go to them armed with possibilites that they can help you decide upon.
6. Learn, learn, learn
Develop an insatiable appetite for learning. Information to help you become a smarter and more knowledgeable marketer is everywhere and it doesn’t need to be a burden to consume it.
Try replacing FM radio on your commute with a top marketing podcast or eBook. Use Feedly, Twitter or Flipboard to subscribe to relevant marketing publications and then switch out time spent on Facebook or Snapchat with a quick scroll through your feed. Subscribe to Lynda and take a course or set aside some time to take one of the other online marketing courses that won’t break the bank which we recommend on this blog.
Remember that university or college education is only your ticket to the ball, if you practice the art of continual learning, you will become a true master of your craft.
Author Bio:Sam McEwin is the founder and Director of Melbourne based digital marketing agency BizWisdom. Sam enjoys sharing his passion for data driven digital marketing with businesses who love what they do and who are looking to grow their business online. Sam loves nothing more than nurturing client relationships and transforming ideas, no matter how big or small, into success stories. Sam is a regular contributor to BizWisdoms’ blog and guest speaker at digital media industry events and workshops.
