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Donald Asher’s book Who Gets Promoted, Who Doesn’t, and Why is sub-titled 12 things you should do if your goal is to get ahead’.
It’s now in its second edition. It’s an easy-to-read book with a conversational tone.
Asher is a career expert with a special interest on starting your own business and graduate careers. Although this isn’t Asher’s latest book, it’s the most relevant for those who are part-way through their careers.
I expected the book to be largely based on common sense. Do a good job, get in the right place at a right time, move companies if necessary, and so forth.
But it was much more. It was also quite uncomfortable reading in certain places. These are the truths of recruitment that we might not want to admit. Like:
The boss doesn’t care about your past performance. What matters to her is what you can do in your new role for her (and the company). Employers don’t care about your past. It’s only a guide to what you might do in future. They want to see proof that you can deliver a specific and clearly defined future. To be promoted, you must offer the best possible future.
Learn to lose your accent, present well, dress well, focus on high-value contributions, and keep learning. These are just a few of the ideas that you will find in these pages.
You can literally do anything to improve the perception of your work by Who Gets Promoted.
Self-promotion, which is pushing yourself forward, and not giving up a job, is something that many people find difficult to do. This is especially true for women.
Sometimes project managers are also needed. We do things through others. I know people who will take credit for long hours of work to deliver something. However, most people are more open to sharing the praise and acknowledging the fact that we really only do one thing: tick off tasks on a plan, and make sure no one spends too much.
My free career workshop offers more practical advice for project managers. It consists of three on-demand videos that will help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in your role.
It’s not easy to let people know how amazing we are. Who do we tell? How do we do this without appearing pretentious or showing off?
This is something I strongly believe in (there’s a chapter about it in my book). It’s all about getting noticed for the right reasons. It’s great. Every page will have a tip.
Stories from real life
Another thing I loved about this book was the case studies. I love learning from other people’s mistakes and experiences. There are many examples that are short and easy to understand of people who have succeeded.
Some are brave and do what it takes to get hired again for the same manager, but at a higher pay grade. Others are examples of points that anyone could apply.
Even if you don’t want to be promoted or make more money in your current job, it is worth reading this book. This book is especially useful if you’re looking to change to part-time work or to learn how to request your boss to work remotely.
This was one of Kennedy-Krannich’s top ten career books for 2007, and it will help you to be appreciated at work.
I bet you’re dying for to know – have my job opportunities improved since I read this book.
Well, yes. Within six months of reading Who Gets Promoted my role has changed twice. Both were positive and role-developing opportunities. They would have happened without Donald Asher, I think, but who knows?
Amazon: Find out Who Gets Promoted, Who Doesn’t, and Why.
Book review: Who gets promoted, who doesn’t, and why
