When to Swerve That Promotion

(MoneyWatch)  We all want to get on in our careers, but many of us with some miles on the clock can look back and see there are some rungs up the ladder we shouldn't have taken, with the benefit of 20-20 hindsight.

It's tempting, especially now that so many careers are in the doldrums and worse -- others are on the line, to grab whatever opportunities come your way. But don't let your ambition blind you to the honeytrap you may be walking into.

What may seem like a marvellous leapfrog up the greasy pole can end up being your own personal hell, if you don't look ahead and move on for the right reasons.

Here's some of the wrong reasons to accept a promotion:

• When it's for the money: Maybe that huge pay hike would solve some problems you are having with your credit card agency. Or, it might get you that car you've lusted after since you were nine. But, everyone gets used to their salary about a minute after the first paycheque lands in the bank. What else is there about the job that is going to keep you excited now? Besides, a bigger pay packet doesn't necessarily mean you will be paid well for what you are expected to do, relatively speaking. Don't walk in and then find someone else on the same grade is on half as much again.
• When your new line manager is an idiot: You don't leave your job, you leave your manager. It's the same the other end. Make sure that the person you will be working for is someone you respect and who will look after you, not pile his work on to you and use you as a beast of burden, just because they gave you a break.
• When your current line manager is an idiot: Move on because it's something you want to move on to, not because you need to escape from your current position. Otherwise you could well be just trading one set of problems for another and be no happier at work.
• When it's actually a sideways move: Just because the job has a fancy title and a fat raise, doesn't mean it's actually going to get you any further to your ultimate goal of ruling the world. Does it carry more responsibility? Will you be managing more staff or more important employees? Will it put you in contact with more stars in the company? Will you report to a more senior manager? If the answer to these types of questions is no, you've been mistaken for a crab.
• When it's a dead end: The job you've been offered may be a promotion, but what are the promotion prospects from there on in? Is it a department where nothing much is going on? Is it constantly the subject of water-cooler scuttlebutt? Is it being headed up by a go-getting CEO-in-waiting, or someone who is counting the days to retirement? Look beyond this promotion to the doors it potentially opens for you in the future.
• When it's a failing part of the business: If you are going to make the effort to learn a new role, make a new network of colleagues and probably work harder, you need to be sure the role is going to be around in the future. What do people say about that part of the business? If possible, go through the company financial records. Make sure your promotion isn't in a division that's a big loss-maker and about to be wound down.
• When you didn't ask for it: No one, but no one gives you a leg up unless you pester them for it. Be very wary of any new role that may be dressed up to look attractive but which in fact is a poison chalice. It's possible you are being set up to take the fall on a toxic project or just to fill a critical vacancy which must be filled, yet no one else wants to take.
• When you're not ready for it: Be honest with yourself about what you are capable of. Rising too fast could overwhelm you. The best job in the world could make you unhappy if you don't have the skills and experience to cope with it. Bide your time and wait for another opportunity to come along. Don't be afraid of appearing timid. It's better to launch yourself onto the ladder when you know that you can achieve what's expected of you than to take on something you can't handle and spectacularly fail.

Have you ever stepped away from a promotion? Write your comments below.

(Pic: scott.zona cc2.0)