How to Deal With Being Passed Over for a Promotion -The Muse

How to Deal With Being Passed Over for a Promotion -The MuseHow to Deal With Being Passed Over for a Promotion Being passed over for a promotion that you really wanted stings. Your first reaction may be to hit the job boards and start shooting your resume over to friends, hatching a plan to get out of there as soon as you can. But just because you suffered this (major) setback doesnt mean you need to jump ship. Nearly everyone has been overlooked for a job they deserved, and many have come back stronger and more successful. These four steps will help you get over the rejection youre facing so you can continue kicking butt at your job 1. Redirect Your Negative EmotionsIf you dont feel at least a bit emotional after losing out on a promotion, then you have better composure than most. But for many of us, that moment can be tough to swallow, and its perfectly normal to feel flustered. Although you might be fuming, its important that you take a step back from the situation and give yourse lf the opportunity to cool off before doing anything else. You certainly wouldnt want to lose control and torpedo the professional reputation youve strived so hard to build before youve had to the chance to gather all the facts. A couple years ago, I was passed over for a promotion when- in my mind- I should have been a shoe-in. I was so infuriated that I just wanted to walk out and never come back, but after grabbing drinks with my friends and venting out that frustration, I realized that giving up and leaving the company wasnt what I wanted. I came back into the office the next week with a renewed focus and intensity, eager to not let this setback distract or damage my performance. 2. Be Proactive and Seek Direct FeedbackAfter checking those feelings of anger and hurt at the door, its time to take control and transform a negative experience into a potentially positive learning opportunity. Theres no need to play detective by slyly dropping hints to co-workers to get the scoop on w hat happened the professional move is to go straight to the source and ask your boss. Youre likely to get some insight into the areas you can improve upon, as well as how leadership decisions are made at your company. Plus, you might gain some newfound respect from your manager for your professionalism and desire to grow your career with the company.When I missed out on that promotion, I needed concrete feedback from my boss so I could stop running the scenario over-and-over again in my head- comparing myself to the other candidates without actually knowing what my company was looking for. 3. Use it as a Learning OpportunityNow that you have the answers, its time to get real with yourself. Knowing the criticism and what your bosses were looking for, do you still believe you deserved to be promoted? Was there something more that you couldve done, or were there factors completely out of your control? As much as we all wish promotions would go to the most talented, hardworking, and ded icated people, decades of office politics tells us thats not always the case. But in order to determine whether the feedback you received was reliable or just some crap to titel up a nonbusiness motivated decision, you actually need to listen to it and be candid with yourself about your performance. Theres usually some combination of factors at play when youre passed over for a promotion. In my case, I found that there were some things going on behind-the-scenes that I wasnt aware of, as well as discovering that there were some specific areas I could still improve to have a better shot next time. 4. Figure Out Your Next StepNot getting promoted isnt the end of the world, but that doesnt mean now is the time to become complacent either. If it wasnt a matter of inevitable office politics, start thinking about the things you need to do to make it a reality next time and set a time frame for yourself (or your company) to make that happen. If youve set a reasonable timeline or feel like youre being manipulated or taken advantage of, then it might be time to consider an exit plan. Trust your gut, if you sought feedback and something smells fishy or doesnt add up, then youre probably right in considering outside options. Thats why its so important to go to the source to get to the bottom of it. For me, I took the feedback to heart and worked on some areas I was lacking so that I wouldnt be denied a second time. The same position opened up four months later, and I got it. But I also had a contingency plan in place in case I was denied the promotion a second time. Id already thought about my next career move. At first, getting passed over for a promotion can feel like an impossible-to-overcome roadblock in your career path. But by learning as much as you can from went wrong and staying resilient, you can turn a negative into a positive thatll help you land the next one.