9 expert-approved tips to land the plum promotion you deserve

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Give your career a jump-start by earning a promotion.
We collected practical strategies from workplace experts on how to get that title bump.
For example, put yourself in your manager's shoes and start doing the job you want today.
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Get the cake and champagne ready: You're about to land the promotion you've been dreaming of.

It won't be easy, but it's hardly impossible. Below, we've listed nine of the best and most surprising tips we've heard on earning a title bump.

For example, a former General Electric vice chair learned the hard way that, if you don't tell anyone you want a promotion, you probably won't get it. And workplace strategist Erica Keswin recommends connecting with people in different departments, so you have champions beyond your direct team.

Read on for the advice and stop leaving your career trajectory to chance:

Former Google HR exec Justin Angsuwat: Think about why you want the promotion in the first place

Angsuwat is the vice president of people at Thumbtack; he was previously the head of human resources for Google's go-to-market functions.

Whenever an employee asks Angsuwat how to earn a promotion, he responds with the same question: "Why is this promotion important to you?"

"When people answer that question," Angsuwat said, "sometimes they tell me it's actually about having more recognition, or more autonomy, or a greater sense of purpose."

The next step is for the employee to communicate these desires to their manager, so their manager can help them get there. Then, the employee needs to work on crafting their job so it better suits their goals.

The point is to realize that your happiness at work isn't contingent on getting a title bump.

Counterintelligence expert Robin Dreeke: Put yourself in your manager's shoes

Dreeke is the former head of a behavioral analysis program and the co-author, along with Cameron Stauth, of "The Code of Trust."

Dreeke said that you want to think like your manager when you're gunning for a promotion. "If you want to move into a position of leadership, or you want to move up in the company," he said, "the first thing to ask yourself is, 'How can I inspire them to want me?'"

He added, "You've got to understand what's important to them. How do they see prosperity? What can you do to make their job easier?"

You might call it managing up, or tailoring your performance to what your boss wants.

Former GE exec Beth Comstock: Let your boss know you want the promotion

Comstock is the former vice chair of General Electric and the coauthor, with Tahl Raz, of "Imagine It Forward."

She nearly missed the first big promotion in her career because no one knew she wanted it. Specifically, management thought that because she was a young mother, she wouldn't be able to handle a job that involved a lot of travel.

Ultimately, she spoke up and got the position.

Comstock said that the lesson she learned from that experience is: "You're the boss of you. Until you tell people what you want to do, there's no way you can do it."

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