5 Signs It's Time to Get Promoted to a Senior Role and How to Achieve It
Titles don't matter, but promotions do. Is it time to ask for yours?
So you've been working hard for the past 5+ years, yet your title remains the same.
In today's newsletter, I'll share five signs that signal you're ready to step up to a senior position. And since I'm also very generous, I'll give you 5 actionable steps to get that raise.
Signs You’re Ready for Promotion
Mentoring Junior Designers
You're already helping junior designers grow. It could be inside or outside of work, in 1:1 calls, workshops, or lunch and learns. Your mentoring input should be visible through your mentee's career growth. If your mentees are landing their first jobs, acing their projects, and improving their craft, you're doing it right.
Leading Meetings and Projects
You are the design lead of whole projects. Not parts of a project. Not a couple of features. Whole initiatives. You lead kick-off meetings, critiques, stakeholder presentations, and make the design decisions. Pro tip: if they're backed by research and business goals, that's even better. If you are often driving collaboration across teams, that's a strong sign of seniority.
Being a Design Point-of-Contact
You're a design beacon of knowledge, a source of truth. Less poetically: you know stuff and provide valuable feedback. Your peers trust your expertise in design drafts, prototypes, and documentation. They also appreciate your advice on best practices and critical inputs during design work.
Clear Design Articulation and Vision
You explain design well and you've developed a strong vision. You highlight the value of design to non-design stakeholders with ease. You translate complex ideas into actionable plans. You lead presentations with clarity and confidence.
Delivering High-Quality Design Work
You consistently produce excellent design work. You maintain high standards in all deliverables, creating compelling and functional designs. These designs drive engagement and satisfaction and positively impact the business. Moreover, your work empowers cross-teams rather than bogging them down.
Does all of the above sound familiar? If that's the case, here's my 5-step guide on how to approach getting that sweet "Senior" label to your title.
(Titles don't matter to me at all, but I wanted to make it sound good)
Steps to Prove Your Promotion Readiness
Showcase Your Portfolio
Have a well-developed portfolio. Highlight your complex and impactful projects that emphasise your leadership in design initiatives. Having metrics on business impact (hopefully positive) is always a bonus.
Seek Feedback and Mentorship
"Feedback is the breakfast of champions." — Ken Blanchard
Proactively seek feedback from your managers, leads, peers, or mentors. Your goal is to identify your strengths and areas for improvement. Over time, prove your commitment to growth and learning by improving yourself in the identified areas.
Develop Your Soft Skills
I can't stress this enough - improve your communication. That improves collaboration. And collaboration improves problem-solving skills.
Practice articulating design decisions clearly and persuasively. Show effective team and cross-team collaboration. Strive to learn how to capture stakeholder attention. Learn how to lead up the chain of command. All of this radiates a "Senior Designer aura".
Highlight Your Strategic Thinking
Show how your design solutions align with business objectives. Aim to contribute to the company’s overall success. Have metrics on why your decisions aid the company's growth and improvement.
Prepare a Solid Case for Promotion
Have proof. Managers probably know when it's time to get promoted. Finance doesn't, and they rarely understand. Help your managers build a case for your promotion. Carefully document your achievements. Highlight the projects and successes that you're most proud of. Articulate the value you've provided and continue to provide to your organisation. Prepare yourself to discuss your career goals and future plans to contribute as a Senior designer. Make sure you'll stick to them.
Defining these signs in your professional life means you’re primed for a senior role. Follow the steps provided to prove your readiness. A promotion is more than a new title; it’s about recognising your hard work and leadership. Take these steps seriously, prepare thoroughly, and make your case confidently.
Do you recognise yourself in these signs? Well, maybe it's time to take these steps and shoot your shot to earning that senior position.