4 Hours of Overtime Is Not A Guarantee ForJob Promotion, Even If You Get Home Late Every Week

Wake up and do not be deceived

You can “work” on your promotion in 6 months at the fastest and between 12 to 18 months on average if you put your heart and mind into it.

I am serious; this is not clickbait. And I am not kidding.

But why do people fail to move up fast to the curve despite the following?

They seem to have a foundation already, such as working hard.

Can you relate to or recall these instances from your past or current life?

• Pulling an all-nighter before the deadline. Man, No sleep!
• Skipping meals to finish a project on time. As an accountant, I must skip lunch to complete my month-end closing.
• Sacrificing weekends or holidays to catch up on work. This is very usual, but it’s not so new to me!
• Traveling long distances frequently for business without adequate rest. It can be fun at first, but it can be very tough for a period, especially for those with a family.
• Juggling multiple jobs or responsibilities to make ends meet. Projects here and there. And I can genuinely relate to myself again!
• Continuously studying or researching without taking breaks for extended periods. I was reminded of a friend of a doctor who needs to take classes to renew his license to practice as part of his mandatory continuous education.
• Working in challenging or hazardous conditions to complete a task. This applies to my friends in the construction and engineering business.
• Pushing through physical exhaustion or pain to complete a physically demanding task.
• Spending 14 hours on the computer to finish a report and so many more.

But despite doing both, they do not land the opportunity they want

There are several reasons why people spend several years in their role despite the opportunities in front of them that are within reach.

It seems that “luck,” as they say, does not fall into their way until they find themselves rusting on their seats and forget about their dream to progress in their current state.

Here is a short testimonial

I have worked in corporate for almost two decades and have experienced a fast-paced career.

After I graduated from accountancy and passed the CPA board exam, It took me a year and a half to land a supervisor role, and then, in less than a year, I became an accounting manager.

I am also a career coach and resume maker; some clients did it better and faster.

One client had been unemployed for almost a year and had enrolled in my training program for three months. He was an Accounting officer.

After two months of completing my one-on-one coaching program, he landed an offer and was accepted as a Manager.

Another client was a junior executive who happened to become the Chief Operating Officer of an e-commerce business, working in the company for roughly a year.

All I did was share the wisdom, strategies, and experiences I gained in the workplace.

I thank God for being used to ministering and sharing wisdom with these people.

I dream that this course would help other people to receive breakthroughs, especially those who are “working hard” and have been waiting for years for their name to be called and pipelined for the next opportunity.

Why people can’t pull it off?

I coach people, work on resumes, and even guide students to achieve their fullest potential.

And I have seen what worked well and what did not.

Having the will and motivation is a starting point, but despite their long hours at work and years of effort, they do not land the roles they aspire to.

And here are the primary reasons.

No matter how beautiful the dream is, the path to its realization remains uncertain if the vision is unclear. It does not have to be complicated.

Imagine you have a big, exciting dream to be a Functional Manager or a Vice President.

But if you don’t have a clear plan or idea of how to reach the job role, it is like trying to find your way through a thick, foggy forest to land that role in the future.

The Manager or Vice President role is your next dream, and the foggy forest is the unclear vision or plan.

Without a clear path, you might get lost or struggle to reach that dream, no matter how much you want it.

You need a step-by-step guide on how to get there!

It is not just about completing an MBA, being loud in a meeting, or putting business jargon in your resume.

It is more than that.

It is sad to say that people claim to know those steps, and it is common sense, but in reality, they are not aware of really getting there.

And people often overlook simple solutions to their problems.

Bigger Is Not Better

People often think that complex problems need equally complex solutions.

We’ve been wired to believe it might not be good enough if it’s simple.

I will give you an example:

Example 1: Career Change and Skill Acquisition

Scenario: Jaypee is a mid-level marketing professional who wants to advance his career and believes he needs a comprehensive skill set to stand out.

He is considering going back to school to pursue multiple advanced degrees simultaneously — a Master’s in Marketing, an MBA focusing on Digital Marketing, and a Certificate in Data Analytics.

Reasoning: Jaypee thinks that obtaining multiple advanced degrees will help him acquire an extensive and diverse skill set, making him more competitive and versatile in the job market.

Potential Issues:

• Time and Commitment: Pursuing multiple degrees requires a significant time commitment, potentially leading to burnout.
• Financial Burden: Advanced degrees come with substantial costs
• Overqualification: Employers may view Jaypee as overqualified for specific positions or skeptical about his practical experience.

Simple Solution: Specialized Training and Certifications

Scenario: Alternatively, Jaypee could opt for specialized training and certifications in specific areas of interest within marketing, such as Digital Marketing Strategy or Data-Driven Marketing Analytics.

Reasoning: Focusing on targeted training and certifications allows Jaypee to acquire relevant skills and knowledge without the extensive time and financial commitments of pursuing multiple advanced degrees.

Advantages:

• Time-Efficient: A shorter duration of training and certification programs allows Jaypee to upskill more quickly and return to the job market sooner.
• Cost-Effective: Specialized training and certifications are generally more affordable than advanced degrees, reducing the financial burden.
• Relevance and Practicality: Jaypee can tailor his learning to meet current industry demands, making his skills more relevant and applicable in real-world scenarios.

The Lesson

The instinctual belief that “Bigger Is Better” led Jaypee to initially consider pursuing multiple advanced degrees as the ultimate solution to advancing his career.

But, upon closer examination, a more straightforward and targeted approach through specialized training and certifications proves to be a more practical, time-efficient, and cost-effective strategy for achieving his career goals in the dynamic marketing field.

It illustrates that sometimes, simple solutions can be just as effective, if not more so, than complex ones.

Example 2: The Genius Trap: Story of A Project Manager

Background: Imagine you’re a project manager tasked with improving the efficiency of a software development team. The team has been facing delays in delivering projects on time, and management expects you to find a solution.

The “Genius” Trap Scenario: Instead of analyzing the root causes of the delays and addressing them systematically, you decide to implement highly complex and sophisticated project management software.

The software has numerous features, dashboards, and integrations that promise to revolutionize the team’s workflow.

Why It Seems Genius: Implementing such a complex tool can make you feel intelligent and skilled.

By introducing this advanced software, you demonstrate your project management and technology expertise.

The software’s flashy features and impressive capabilities can easily impress upper management and stakeholders.

The Reality: However, despite its complexity and sophistication, the new software might not address the actual issues causing the delays.

The team may need help to adapt to the new tool, leading to further confusion and inefficiency.

Additionally, the time and resources spent on implementing and learning this complex software could have been used more effectively to address the root causes of the delays.

A Better Approach: A more innovative and more effective approach would involve:

Root Cause Analysis: Identify the specific factors causing the delays, such as unclear requirements, inadequate resources, or poor communication.

Simple Solutions: Implement straightforward and targeted solutions based on identified root causes. It could include improving communication channels, providing additional training for the team, or reallocating resources more effectively.

Continuous Improvement: Regularly monitor and evaluate the team’s performance and adjust the workflow or processes.

The Lesson

Falling into the “Genius” Trap by opting for a complex solution without addressing the underlying issues can lead to wasted time and resources and increased frustration for the team.

Accurate intelligence in career planning and project management lies in identifying simple, practical solutions that address the root causes of problems rather than opting for complex solutions to appear competent or skilled.

Example 3: Choosing a Career Path

Context: Imagine Sarah, a recent college graduate with a degree in Business Administration.

She is passionate about marketing and finance but is unsure which career path to pursue.

The Overthinking Pitfall in Action:

Analysis Paralysis: Sarah spends countless hours researching various job roles, industries, and potential career trajectories. She delves deep into the specifics of each role, trying to predict which would offer better long-term prospects, work-life balance, and salary.

Fear of Making the Wrong Choice: Sarah becomes so engrossed in overthinking that she starts to doubt her abilities to succeed in either marketing or finance. She worries that choosing one path might close doors to opportunities in the other, leading to a decision-making stalemate.

Procrastination: Due to overthinking, Sarah delays making concrete decisions about her career. She may attend numerous networking events, informational interviews, and workshops but hesitates to apply for jobs or commit to any particular career path.

Missed Opportunities: While Sarah is caught in the overthinking trap, potential job openings and networking opportunities in both marketing and finance pass her by. Her indecision and lack of action resulted in missed chances to gain valuable experience and build her professional network.

The Straightforward Solution: Instead of getting bogged down by overthinking, Sarah could:

Seek Guidance: Talk to career counselors, mentors, or professionals in both marketing and finance to gain insights into the day-to-day realities of these roles.

Take Action: Apply for entry-level positions or internships in both fields to gain hands-on experience. This practical exposure would help her better understand her preferences and strengths in each area.

Embrace Flexibility: Recognize that career paths are rarely linear. Many professionals switch roles and industries throughout their careers, gaining diverse skills and experiences.

Set Realistic Goals: Instead of aiming for the “perfect” career path, Sarah should focus on setting achievable short-term and long-term goals. This approach would allow her to make informed decisions while remaining adaptable to changing circumstances.

By avoiding the Overthinking Pitfall and taking proactive steps toward her career goals, Sarah would be better positioned to make confident and informed decisions about her future in marketing or finance.

Struggling at work without guidance is like sailing a ship without a compass; even with effort, you may drift aimlessly in turbulent waters.

Many people in the workplace think they are great performers only to find out they are mediocre, confusing motion with progress.

They are bad performers.

They think their brand, such as flaunting a portfolio of known companies they work for and their high-paying job, reflects that they are excellent.

I have seen people who were overly confident about themselves, but in reality, they are more of a liability to the company.

And I even saw this in myself once when I was aggressive in my career.

I thought I was contributing well, but people around me made me realize I was like a double expense line item hindering the company’s profitability.

I recall a Pharma Brand Director more than 14 years ago telling our CFO and CEO that I was not providing value-adding support to them, and they missed their previous Finance Business Partner who was doing it for them.

Ouch! That hurt!

That hit me, but there was no other way but to move forward and learn from that experience.

Remember that self-awareness and continuous learning are crucial to landing a great career.

No matter how good you cook food, if nobody knows it, it’s like it never happened.

If people don’t know about your talent, it’s as if your skills don’t exist or don’t make any difference.

People do not know how good people are until they see it.

As an accountant, I have managed to manage staff, but they are shy and quiet and entirely rely on their job output to do the talking for them.

Whether they made improvements, submitted reports timely, or analyzed transactions accurately, nobody cared to recognize it until I made them realize it.

During these moments, I remind the people I work with and coach that the results of your work might not always reflect the challenges you faced, the innovative solutions you developed, or the collaborative efforts involved.

Providing context can help others understand the significance and complexity of your contributions.

Execute like the Gordon Ramsay way.

If you are not equipped for it, you will be rejected, overwhelmed, and unprepared. Old is not always gold.

If someone lacks the necessary skills, knowledge, or qualifications for a particular task, role, or situation, they will likely face rejection or failure.

It would help if you were adequately prepared by possessing the required abilities to handle a specific responsibility.

Like an athlete, you must be prepared and competent to succeed. It serves as a reminder that merely wishing or hoping to achieve something is insufficient.

This reminds me of myself and millions of other employees who believe that “more years of tenure are lined up for the promotion.”

While this can sometimes be true in specific organizations or industries where seniority is highly valued, it is not a universal rule in this modern world.

I would know because I have clients working in fintech companies with many intelligent and young people.

Most promotions are now based on a combination of factors, including performance, skills, qualifications, and potential for growth, rather than solely on the length of tenure.

Let’s take Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, as a perfect example.

Nadella became CEO in 2014, succeeding Steve Ballmer, despite having a shorter tenure at the company than some other executives.

Nadella’s promotion to CEO was primarily attributed to his visionary leadership, innovative thinking, and successful track record leading Microsoft’s cloud computing division.

His promotion exemplifies how merit, vision, and leadership qualities can be more crucial determinants for advancement than tenure alone.

People should debunk the myth that the longer the tenure, the better.

Invest the time to acquire the necessary skills and resources to meet the demands of your role and the company’s situation.

In business, understanding office politics isn’t about being manipulative; it’s about being strategic. — Simon Sinek

I recall my student leadership days back in college. A professor I thought was for me was vouching for somebody else to win the organization’s presidency.

Because I feared losing and giving myself peace, I backed out from the election and freely gave it to the other candidate without giving him a good fight.

The sad part was that even though I gave up on the election, that event brought out the worst in me by seeing people who I thought were for me but were supporting the other party.

I got mad where I shouldn’t have.

It was their right, but I was sensitive enough to know that people were not for me.

My friend, this is the reality of politics and its trauma. And I carried this on in my corporate career.

I thought that as long as I did my work and met my SLAs, I could go home and not care about the people I worked with

It also gave me the impression that I can separate my work and personal life. I set unhealthy boundaries.

I do not join team-building events. I did not join people eating together when invited.

The good thing about this experience is I was also an avid student of life, and it made me realize that a frame of belief in work would not do any good to me.

Later, I realized that building relationships, gaining allies, and strategically positioning oneself within an organization to achieve professional goals is crucial.

Key takeaways

Reflect on these reasons why people do not land great career opportunities.

Considering the factors influencing career advancement and taking deliberate actions to address them are pivotal for landing great career opportunities.

Embracing changes accelerates your career progression and fosters personal growth, fulfillment, and long-term success in your professional journey.

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