Being considered for a promotion can mean a lot of things. For one, your performance has certainly gained attention of the concerned persons and has been appreciated. Secondly, you have been considered worthy of being upgraded to newer and higher job responsibilities. Promotions bring with them monetary advantages along with a host of other learning and growth prospects. A promoted employee has to face bigger challenges and needs to continually upgrade his dexterity.
Along with you, there may be other employees lined for the same promotion. To pick a best suited employee among them, companies conduct a brief interview session. You need to apply correct techniques while being interviewed in order to outrun the others to grab that position.
Prior Preparation :
You should start preparing for the promotion interview as soon as you are intimidated about it. Try to gain as much information as possible about the post that you are likely to be promoted to.
More often than not, the new post will demand advanced skills set, authority and expertise. Higher level of stress and pressure also cannot be ruled out. At the outset, an employee must realize the changes that promotions will bring in with them and be prepared to shoulder bigger job obligations.
Focus on how to customize yourself to the new job profile. Conduct a thorough review of your competencies; draw up a list of all your strengths, weaknesses and abilities. Promotion interviews are as good as job interviews, where you will have to remind your employer of all the positive contributions you have made to the organization. Similarly, you cannot turn a blind eye to your mistakes, as the company has been microscopically reviewing your performance.
Actual Interview :
Promotion interviews are generally conducted with your immediate reporting boss. Thus, there will be some amount comfort level between the two of you. While the interview may start on an informal note, make sure to turn your professionalism on as soon as possible.
You should be able to answer to the below mentioned questions.
Expect a lot of situational questions from the employer. This will give you an opportunity to display your contributions and additions to the company. Enhance your answer by introducing accurate examples that will work in favor of the promotion.
Promotions are paradigm shifts for many employees. Sometimes promotions may entail an altogether different profile. Companies will definitely provide training sessions during such situations. In such cases, the main motive of the company is to ascertain if the employee displays enthusiasm, readiness to take up new challenges and work willingly with a different set of people.
Make sure you introduce these basic yet important techniques to be successfully promoted after your job promotion interview.