In these tough economic times, most of us feel lucky to just be employed and that its best to just fly under the radar and not makes waves. Regardless of the state of the economy, its okay to want to be paid what you’re worth and it’s still important to focus on your professional development and career advancement.

What a lot of people don’t realize is that as staff is cut and positions are streamlined, gaps develop that may offer a great opportunity to go after that promotion. Jump in there! If you don’t seize the moment, someone else will.

Look for the gaps and assess whether you have the knowledge and skills to fill them. If you’re confident in your ability, begin taking on extra work, demonstrating that you can do the job before you even ask for the promotion. This helps you build your case. When taking on additional responsibility, make your accomplishments known. Point out how much money is saved and efficiency is increased by you doing the job of two or even three people.

You might find that your organization can offer you a promotion in position and title but not in salary. Take it. You will be more marketable within and outside your organization. When the economy starts to turn around, talk to your boss about reevaluating your salary.

Additionally, here are some general tips for getting that promotion regardless of the economic conditions:

• Keep a record of everything you do that goes above and beyond your job description to show that you’re performing at a level higher than your current position. Also, record things you do that are innovative or put your department or organization in a good light.
• Learn as much as you can about your organization outside of your department or functional area to show that you think like a senior employee.
• When seeking feedback on your performance, get specifics. At your annual review, ask your manager what he/she needs to see to consider you for a promotion. Get it in writing.
• Develop your successor(s) so your promotion won’t leave a void in the team. This also highlights your mentoring and leadership skills.
• Expand your knowledge and skills in areas that are important to the organization. Keep up with changing technology and keep current with industry news and events.
• Network. The more people who know you, your skills and abilities, and your value to the organization, the greater the chance your name will come up when opportunities arise.
• Build mentoring relationships with people in higher positions in the organization. These people are a good source of information and guidance and many people who have been promoted had a mentoring relationship with someone more senior in the organization who spread the good word about them.
• Act professionally and avoid office gossip and politics.

At the end of the day, you just gotta ask. Your boss isn’t going to come tap you on the shoulder and offer you more money. Make your ambition known. If the promotion is denied, don’t throw in the towel. Ask your boss what you can do to make this happen in the future. Get feedback. Ask what your deficiencies are and get suggestions on how you can contribute more. All is not lost if you don’t get the promotion because in the process you’ve increased your knowledge and skills, built your network, developed a good reputation and made yourself more marketable. Time to dust off your resume!

Have you received a promotion recently? What actions did you take that helped you get that promotion? What would you add to this list?