No matter which career you’re in, the launch of new products is always sure to be a stressful time. After all, years of research and planning go into every new release a company sends out into the world. This launch stuff isn’t a game our managers play to keep themselves busy. Rather, this is the only real way to compete in a market which changes all the time. Hence why every employee in your office will need to work their butts off to pull this launch thing off. Otherwise, you’ll all find yourselves facing redundancy in a few months time.
If you want to keep the pay packets rolling, then, you’ll be right up there fighting to make this work with your colleagues. What you might not consider, though, is that this may be the perfect time to seek promotion, not just keep yourself in a job. Now, more than ever, your boss will be looking out for those people who can step right up to the mark. If you’ve been struggling to catch their attention for years, then, it’ a no-brainer that now is the time to do it.
Of course, your boss is probably experiencing some lack of sleep and pretty high-stress levels right now. As such, coming out and asking for a promotion at this point could well see you out the door before you can blink. Instead, you need to keep playing the long game here. By making ripples during the launch, there’s a good chance your boss will offer you something more later down the line. Even if they don’t, your work efforts here increase your chances if you do come to ask about promotion later on.
But, how exactly can you make yourself look better than the rest of the team when a launch is on the horizon?
Make the most of new job openings
New products mean new tasks which need doing. They, in turn, mean temporary job openings you should be making the most of to fight for promotion. It may be, for instance, that your manager needs someone heading up a brand new marketing team. The position will close once the launch is over, but this is still a chance to step up which you would never have had otherwise. It’s also an invaluable opportunity to gain new experience. It may even be that you’re lucky enough to secure the temporary position of launch project manager. That experience alone could lead to the offer of a management role later on.
The experience could even push you into looking for project management certification courses, thus ensuring you can apply for any other jobs like this which come up in your company. Either way, looking out for the new opportunities a launch brings to the fore is always a good idea. Even if you don’t get the positions, applying for them shows your boss that you’re looking to spread your wings. Though they may not notice it at the time, the knowledge is sure to come back to them when things calm down.
Get involved in new areas of the company
Aside from opening up new positions, launches also often mean that every area of your company is stretched. As such, you’ll find that most departments are more than willing for extra brains and hands, regardless of where they come from. Everyone knows that the more you can do, the more chance you have of getting the best promotions going. Manager and supervisor roles, for instance, relate to various departments at once. Thus, broad knowledge is invaluable. You can also bet that your chances here increase the more department managers that mention your name. As such, you want to get your foot in the door wherever possible. Listen out, then, for anyone from other departments speaking about feeling overwhelmed. Conversations like these are a good opener for making yourself look like a savior. Failing that, you could also opt to head straight into the department and ask upfront if they need help. While not quite as heroic, this will still win you favor.
Bear in mind, though, that sticking to your department is better than offering services you can’t provide. If you have no knowledge of how marketing works, don’t take on jobs you can’t complete to try and impress. The opposite will end up happening, and you’ll find promotion further away than ever. Instead, do your research before offering. Either that or stick to departments you have some knowledge in. At the very least, be open about what you can and can’t do. It may be that there’s some non-specific prep you can help with, such as printing out fliers. Every little helps towards building a resume for promotion.
Put in all the extra hours you can
Of course, taking on extra work will mean increasing the hours you spend at the office. But, as you can see from the subheading of this pointer, that can only work in your favor. Nothing works as well to impress your boss than being first in the office and last to leave. This is especially the case during busy periods like these. While the rest of your team may be reluctant to get out of bed early, you can bet your boss will be there from first thing until late at night. They have more riding on this launch than anyone, after all. As such, these periods of extra work give you an excellent chance to cozy up to the boss. Often, it’ll be just you and them in the office. That alone ensures they notice the extra effort you’re putting in compared to team members. This also ensures you can develop a relationship with the boss who may never have paid you much mind before. By asking if they want a coffee each morning, you increase the chances of their remembering your name. It also ensures they’ll be more than willing to arrange a promotion-based meeting with you when this is over and done.
