‘Is it a sign from my boss I need to go?’ Singaporean asks after colleagues in same intake secure promotions

SINGAPORE: A promotion is often seen as a step up the corporate ladder, but what happens when everyone around you gets one except you? That was the question one Singaporean found herself grappling with after colleagues from the same programme intake, though working in different departments, were all promoted while she was not.

On r/singaporejobs, she shared: “My colleagues (we belong to different teams but same job scope and same batch in the programme) are promoted, and I am not. The newsletter came out, and I feel like other people are talking about it and are viewing me as incompetent, incapable, hence the no promotion. I get stares and pity looks everywhere. Is it a sign from my boss I need to go? I feel like she does not like me.”

Asking others if they had experienced the same, she added, “Anyone can share their experience, please, I want to bury myself.”

Many commenters shared similar experiences, with some explaining that, unlike their peers, they had failed to speak up about wanting to get promoted.

One said, “I failed to tell my boss that I wanted to be promoted (this was my first job, so I did not realise that was my responsibility…lesson learned) and was thus not ‘groomed’ for promotion. Others were more on the ball and had their bosses push them for promotion 1-2 cycles ahead of me.”

Another quipped, “Sometimes you need to prematurely communicate to your boss. Then from there, it’s an audition. Cannot be one day your boss walking around, then see the light shine on you and decide that you are the divine chosen one with a glorious purpose that will lead your team to scale new heights.”

Others, meanwhile, shared that sometimes promotions aren’t really what workers expect them to be. Sometimes one gets promoted, but their salaries don’t increase alongside the responsibilities they’re given.

Still, one commenter advised, “But of course, if you’ve been working hard and feel that you deserve the promotion, then do have a talk with your bosses.”

While traditionally, promotions are initiated by the company, one way to get a promotion is to ask for one. According to The Undercover Recruiter, workers can also seek feedback from their supervisors, but before doing so, it helps to be clear about their career goals, what they have accomplished so far, and how they can continue contributing to the company. /TISG

Read also: ‘Is life in Singapore still worth the grind?’: Singaporean wonders whether the level of competition and pressure in SG is becoming a bit much