Promoting From Within.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)

Byline: Adelia Cellini Linecker

4 Too many people work hard and sit silently in hopes that a promotion will magically fall on their lap.

"It's a career mistake to think that," says Janet Scarborough, founder of Bridgeway Career Development, a firm in the Seattle area. "You have to show that you are a good fit with the job you are targeting."

Here's what experts say you can do to improve your chances of moving up:

** Show that you're an asset to the company. "Show that you've been blazing trails that add value to the company you work for," said Cincinnati-based career coach Andrea Kay. "You need to show, for example, how you've taken the initiative to solve a problem that comes up again and again and gets in the way of productivity. What have you developed, created, invented, diagnosed? What big hurdle did you finally help the company overcome? What did you do that saved a relationship, gained a big new client, added innovative services, increased customer satisfaction, decreased costs, improved morale or cut absenteeism?"

** Be vocal about your goals. Meet with managers regularly and share your career advancement goals with them. "Tell them, here's where I'm hoping to go. What do I need to know and show to get there," Scarborough said.

Chances are your promotion will hinge more on your interpersonal skills than on technical know-how, Scarborough adds. "You need to show that you can motivate a team," ...