There are many key milestones on the road to career success and one is getting promoted.  Remember the day you landed your first real job after college?  Or the time you completed your first major project with minimal direction?  Perhaps, you were chosen to present your research to the entire department at last year’s conference or tasked with showing the new intern the ropes at work.

Although the timing and specifics may vary, no matter your industry, there are certain items that typically need to be checked off as you make your way up the corporate ladder.

One of the major goals that must be accomplished in order to move you closer to the higher heights of success professionally is getting that big promotion.  You know the one where you have to prove yourself and really show what you’re made of.

So, what do you do if you’re ready to take that next professional leap at work, but it just seems like it’s not happening fast enough?  Well – the first step is to take an honest look at the impression you’re giving off at work. This impression is more than how you dress or what you say in meetings.

Are you showing your boss that you’re ready for that next step?

5 Not So Obvious Reasons Why You Haven’t Been Promoted

1. You’re sharing too much credit with your team.

We’ve all heard it before – there’s no ‘I’ in ‘TEAM’. Teamwork and being inclusive is absolutely necessary for getting ahead at work.  However, there is such a thing as too much teamwork.  It is just as critical to highlight the fact that you’ve taken on a lead role on a project as it is to share credit when it’s due.

As women, we tend to overuse pronouns such as we and us, neglecting ones like I and me.  If you took the lead on a particular project or created a new process, your boss definitely needs to know that. As long as you’re balancing your I’s with enough we’s, you will still be viewed as a team player.

2. You’re not playing to your strengths.

In general, women tend to feel they should master about 80-90% of their current job before being promoted while men feel that mastery of only about 40-50% is all that’s necessary.  Make sure you aren’t downplaying your accomplishments and camouflaging your key skills because you feel you still have plenty of room to grow.

Play to your top 2-3 strengths as often as you can and strategically seek out opportunities that showcase these strengths. In many cases, you have to already be operating at your new level before the formal promotion follows.

3. You’re only getting feedback during your annual review.

This is a huge no-no and an area where women tend to self-sabotage consistently. Your career development is an ongoing process and shouldn’t be relegated to a once-a-year 30 – 60-minute conversation. If your boss isn’t scheduling a time to discuss your progress regularly, then you should proactively put time on the calendar for you to meet.  You should be aware of your development areas in real-time. Ultimately, you are in charge of your own career path and should not leave your development in someone else hands.

4. You’re meeting expectations – not exceeding them.

It’s rare that people get promoted by simply being average.  These high-level promotions are awarded based on your past performance and future potential.  What have you done to go above and beyond the call of duty lately? If you’re not pushing yourself to the limit consistently then you are becoming stagnant and being stagnant does not lead to promotions.

5. You’ve never asked.

Come on, girl!  Does your boss even know that you want a promotion? There are many women who are OK with staying at their current level indefinitely for a variety of reasons. It is not in your best interest to assume that your boss should just know what your career goals are.

Take the time to discuss your specific career goals – including promotion – during your next career discussion with your manager.  Ask what you need to accomplish in order to get to the next level and for specific feedback on development areas.

The process of getting a promotion is not for the faint of heart. As you can see, there’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes that are more than just turning in assignments on time and networking with your colleagues.

You already know you’re awesome and capable of operating at the next level, but now you have to make sure that your boss knows it too so you can get promoted.