How to Ask For a Promotion Without Sounding Entitled: 3 Career-Boosting Steps
- Kelly
- Jun 21
- 3 min read
When most people think about relationships, they typically focus on the personal ones, such as those with their families, friends, or partners. But there's another kind that's just as important: your relationship with your career.
If you've been thinking about leveling up at work, let's talk about one of the trickiest (and most important) skills to master: communicating your value without sounding entitled.
Whether you're aiming for your first leadership role or gunning for the next big step, here's how to shift from hoping you'll be noticed to clearly demonstrating you're ready.
Step 1: Schedule a Strategic Career Conversation
If you want to grow, clarity has to come first.
One of the best ways to gain that clarity is to request a dedicated conversation with your manager. Not a hallway chat or an end-of-meeting add-on - an actual sit-down to talk about growth opportunities and how to get there.
Ask specific questions like:
What do you look for when promoting someone in this role?
What skills or behaviors do you need to see more consistently from me?
Are there stretch assignments or projects that would help me gain visibility?
Approaching this with curiosity (not entitlement) puts your manager in a collaborative mindset and helps you walk away with actionable insights, not just vague encouragement.
Step 2: Build a Personal Development Roadmap
Once you understand what's expected, don't wait for someone to tell you what to do next. Create your own career development plan based on the feedback you received.
Your roadmap might include:
Volunteering for cross-functional projects
Strengthening leadership competencies
Participating in training, coaching, or mentorship programs
Set a realistic timeline; six to twelve months is typical for preparing for a promotion. Track your progress as if you're preparing for a case study. Keep notes on outcomes, wins, lessons learned, and impact. This will help you connect the dots during your performance review or promotion conversation.
Step 3: Lead the Review - Don't Just Attend It
When review season arrives, don't show up hoping for praise. Show up ready to lead the conversation with confidence and evidence.
Frame your accomplishments in relation to what you and your manager discussed. Use data, team outcomes, and measurable achievements. Be prepared to highlight how you've grown, consistently contributed, and how your evolution aligns with the team's or company's direction.
Pro tip: Don't just talk about your own success, show how your growth benefits the bigger picture. That turns the conversation from "why I deserve this" to "how I'm ready to contribute more."
Don't Demand. Demonstrate.
There's a fine line between advocating for yourself and coming across as entitled. The secret? Assertiveness with respect.
Aggressive requests sound like ultimatums. Assertive communication sounds like:
"I've taken the steps we discussed. Here's the impact I've made. I'd love to talk about what's next."
By taking ownership of your path and clearly communicating your progress, you not only increase your chances of getting promoted, you also establish yourself as a credible, confident leader.
Let's Redefine What Leadership Looks Like
Career growth doesn't come from waiting for permission. It comes from clarity, consistency, and courageous communication.
So, if you're ready to move forward but unsure how to say it, these three steps will help you start the conversation, own the process, and demonstrate that you're already leading.
Ready for more support with this...and everything else no one ever taught you about advancing in your career?
This is exactly the kind of work we do inside U Accelerated, the premier membership for ambitious women looking to get the title, the raise, and the seat at the table they deserve.
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