Yes, Your Promotion While Working Remotely Is Possible. Here's How

Working remotely is a great way to get ahead in your career. There are fewer distractions and you can spend more time on the things that matter most. 

But if you're not careful, working remotely can also make it harder to get promoted because you aren't "seen" in the traditional sense or able to work physically closely with your manager on projects. That's why it's important that remote workers use their time wisely and invest in building relationships with their coworkers before they even think about asking for a promotion.

Own your remote-worker identity

Your remote-worker identity is your platform. It's what you stand for, and it's how people know you. It will help guide your career development as well as inform how others see and interact with you.

Your remote-worker identity should be driven by your values, not by what the job market demands at any given moment. If the industry asks for something that conflicts with one of your core values or doesn't fit into your professional goals, it's okay to say no—and even better if you can find a way to make an impact without compromising yourself in the process!

Your remote-worker identity is your chance to share what makes you unique, so don't be afraid of being yourself. What would make working with remote workers fun? What motivates you? You can use these answers as your guide for creating a personal mission statement, which will not only help others understand how they might benefit from collaborating with you but also serve as an inspiration for staying true to yourself throughout your career.

Get on the same page as your manager

Your manager should be the person you talk to when it comes to your goals and how to achieve them. Make sure that you’re openly communicating with them about what you are working on, as well as the best ways for them to help support your work.

The most successful remote workers understand that their managers are there for more than just checking in on their progress now and then; they also operate as a mentor who can help guide new employees through their career development process, from onboarding all the way through growing and developing their career through promotions and other career steps.

Feedback is your friend

If you want to get promoted, you need to ask for feedback. It's that simple. While asking for feedback may feel uncomfortable or awkward, it's actually a great way to show your manager that you're invested in your career and willing to do whatever it takes in order to improve yourself as an employee. The best time to ask for this kind of feedback is at the end of each project (or annual review), but if there are other milestones during the year–such as when you receive the go-ahead from your client on a new project–make sure that those opportunities aren't missed either!

Make your achievements visible

You want your manager to know about the work you are doing, and they need to see that your achievements are visible. 

• Tell them. As much as possible, make sure that your manager knows about the work that you are doing. You can use your internal online tools and ping your manager. By seeing the track of tasks and projects they can be easily reviewed by both parties at any time.
  
• Make it obvious within the organization that you're not only checking all boxes when it comes to delivering your tasks, but also thinking one step ahead and not losing sight of the bigger picture.  
  
• Share your team successes with other teams too, to push your visibility within the whole organization.

Use technology to connect with people and make sure your work is getting noticed

You may be working remotely, but that doesn't mean you can't keep the lines of communication open with those who matter most. In fact, staying connected is so important that it's a key factor in getting promoted while working remotely.

In case you want to know more, we’ve written an article on how to communicate within your remote team, with all the information you need to get going.

Proactivity is the key

If you’re looking to get promoted while working remotely, we hope these tips will help. They all boil down to one simple idea: be proactive, and put yourself out there! Make sure your manager knows what you do and how well it’s going. Ask for feedback on how you can improve; offer suggestions for how the company could make its processes more efficient or effective. Get on Slack if possible—it helps teams stay connected even when they're not all together physically in an office space.

And finally, use technology to connect with people outside the company so that your work gets noticed by the right people who might be able to promote you based on what they see from afar.

Experience a new level of social interaction for your team in Slack with Doozy's Team Socials Feature. Give it a try for free and elevate your workplace communication today!

Further Resources
Proactivity Staying Ahead Of The Game

How to Make Yourself Visible When Working From Home

Image Credits: Pexels.com, Unsplash.com, Giphy.com