How to Get Promoted Once You’re Hired
Becoming a corporate leader is not about waiting your turn.
Promotions are not about hoping you'll be rewarded.
They are about trust, visibility, and timing.
My purpose of writing on this topic is to help you:
-
understand how promotions actually happen
-
avoid mistakes that quietly cap your growth
-
build credibility without overworking
-
move from safe hire to high-impact contributor
What people get wrong about promotions and moving into corporate leadership
Many people believe:
-
good work speaks for itself
-
loyalty leads to growth
-
staying busy equals value
-
time in role earns advancement
That is rarely true.
Promotions go to people who solve the right problems and make that clear.
Hard work alone is invisible if no one understands its impact.
Across many first roles after teaching, the same issues show up.
-
People try to prove everything at once.
-
They say yes too often and dilute their value.
-
They wait to be noticed instead of being clear.
Promotion does not come from doing more.
It comes from doing the right work and being known for it.
Use these three simplified "promotion truths" to anchor your next moves:
1. Scope grows before title
You earn more responsibility before you earn a new title.
Act at the next level first.
2. Visibility beats effort
If the right people don’t see your work, it doesn’t count.
Share progress. Share outcomes.
3. Feedback is data, not judgment
If they hired you, they're rooting for you to succeed. Learn how your work is perceived.
Adjust early. Leave emotion at the door.
Go deeper here
The posts below break down promotion mechanics and early career growth.
You do not need to read everything.
Start with the one that matches your situation right now.
Featured articles:
A simple way to think about this stage
Ask yourself three questions:
-
What problem do people come to me for now?
-
Have I had clear conversations with my manager about my future?
-
Do I have a clear set of KPIs I'm working on and documenting my wins along the way?
Promotion follows intentional conversations and documentation.
Honestly, you can skip the rest of this and get the full process in one place.
That's exactly why I built the Career Change Accelerator™.
All posts about promotion and growth
How I Got Promoted In One Year (And How You Can Too!) >
The 4 Rules For Career Success That I Will Always Follow >
Your Principal's Feedback Doesn't Matter Here >
3 Things I Said That Got Me the Offer >
Learn These AI Skills Now To Make Your Next Employer Say You're Hired! >
F*ck Burnout. Here's How To Get Top Dollar From Your Next Employer (Even When You're Tired) >
Best articles on related topics
Leaving Teaching, On Purpose >
What Jobs You Can Do Instead >
How Hiring Actually Works Now >
How to Run a Smart Job Search >
What I’ve Learned From Doing This at Scale >
When you're ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:
1. The Elevated Career Change Accelerator™: Join countless educators in my core program. It’s built for folks who want a clear path out of the classroom and into corporate roles without guessing, over-applying, or wasting months trying to piece things together. Inside, you’ll work through six focused modules that cover role selection, positioning your experience, resumes, LinkedIn, interviews, negotiation, and what actually matters once you’re hired. This is the same framework I’ve refined over a decade of making this move myself and helping others do it faster and smarter.
2. 1:1 Action Planning Session: If you want direct guidance, this is a focused working session. We’ll map out exactly where you’re headed, what roles make sense for you, and the next concrete steps to take. You’ll leave with a clear plan you can execute immediately, based on your background and constraints, not generic advice.
Either option is a strong move.
Both put you on my radar and into my corporate-ready pipeline. That matters because recruiters and hiring managers regularly reach out to me when they’re trying to fill roles and want candidates who are already vetted, positioned well, and realistic about the work. As a customer, you’re invited into that pipeline by default.
Subscribe to the Newsletter
Join 12K+ readers of The Elevated Careers Society Newsletter for exclusive tips, strategies, and resources to change careers from teaching to corporate.
