When it comes to getting promoted, it takes more than just doing your job well. You have to prove to your leaders that you’re ready and deserving enough to take on more responsibility. This takes consistency, dedication, and giving your best. If you’re ready to take the next step in your career, check out these six helpful tips to help get promoted.

Set career goals

Schedule a meeting with your boss to sit down and discuss your professional career goals. Be open about where you see yourself in the next 6 months or year. This is a great opportunity for your boss to provide feedback and offer support to help keep you on track. Your boss may even help you achieve these goals by assigning you special projects or tasks that will help you build new skills for a different role.

A lot of promotions are handed over gradually. Which means you might have to start fulfilling the role at the next level starting today and the formal promotion would come 6 months later after assessing how well you’ve fit.

Dress for the job you want

Whether you’ve been at your job for a month or 10 years, you’re constantly being evaluated and re-evaluated by your fellow co-workers. What you wear to work can say a lot about you. Your clothes can represent which groups you identify with and where you think you belong at your organization. With that being said, if you dress more like the peer group you aspire to be in, you’re sending a powerful signal that you belong in that group. You don’t have to out dress everyone else, but you should be well-dressed for the circumstances.

Try incorporating items such as blazers, blouses, dress pants, and dresses in your wardrobe for a more professional look. Keep in mind that shopping for new clothes can get pricey, so be sure to set a budget. To help stay within budget and score your favorite brands for less, consider shopping secondhand. thredUP, the largest online secondhand shopping destination, has a variety of business appropriate attire from top brands at very affordable prices. This allows you to easily update your wardrobe without the hassle of going to your local department store. Not to mention, you’ll be able to get more bang for your buck!

Show that you are a Team Player

Employers value employees who are focused on “we” rather than “I.” They want team players who are committed to helping and contributing to the greater good of the team as this ultimately benefits the company. Besides being someone that your colleagues can depend and rely on, try to volunteer for more tasks and responsibility. If there’s a routine task that you know needs to be done, volunteer your efforts before being asked. The employees that show their dedication and go above and beyond will be thought of first when promotions are being decided.

Be your own advocate

When you’re up for a promotion your leadership is going to want to know what kind of value you bring to the company. Rather than trying to think back to all you’ve accomplished during your time there on the spot, put together a portfolio. Every time you’ve completed an important project or had a record month production wise, document it. Be sure to focus on the most important details such as how each accomplishment enhanced the company’s bottom line or puts the company or your department in a positive light. This will not only show your leaders that you’ve been successful and have had a positive impact on the company, but that you’re invested in the work you’re doing.

It would also show your bosses that you are confident and not afraid to talk about your successes and can back things up with facts.

Show initiative

Even if you feel like you’ve hit a point where there is nothing new to learn, you should continue to improve and develop your skills by finding new learning opportunities. You can do this both within the office and outside of it. Try enrolling in a webinar, attending a conference, or taking a certification course. You can even ask to be put on a project outside of your department. This will show your boss that you’re serious about your career and aren’t relying on someone else to help get you where you want to go in your career.

Be the go-to person

Whether it’s putting together sales decks or dealing with difficult customers, become the go-to person for something specific. Be someone that your fellow employees can go to and rely on. Not only are people in positions like this sought after by coworkers, they’re also seen by leaders as they naturally stand out as someone people are always looking for.

Your company will not promote you if you are not adding any value to the organization. Remember, a promotion comes with a higher salary and your bosses will always have the option of finding someone from outside to replace you. So make sure you are someone your company feels that cannot do without. And more importantly, as someone who will add dollars ($) to the company’s balance sheet months down the line given the promotion.

All the best 🙂

This post first appeared on the getsetResumes.com Blog