Do you know that the main obstacle to getting a promotion is yourself?

Can’t see how it is possible?

Well, to put it simply, the opinion that people around you (including your boss), builds of your person, and your performance influences the final decision. Naturally, there are measurable metrics, such as monitoring your productivity but what can make it a win or a fail is the impression that others have of you. You may be hardworking and qualify for a promotion but if your attitude and look send the wrong impression, then you’ll never get anywhere.

Here are four ways to change your boss’s mind and get that well-deserved promotion.

1. Dress for the Part

It’s as simple as that; if you want to become a team manager, you need to dress and act like a team manager. No, that doesn’t mean telling your co-workers off for turning up late, but instead, it’s about adopting the essential traits of the role you want.

In other words, you might want to have a look at the latest office fashion to upgrade your wardrobe and while you’re at it, consider getting an auto loan to upgrade your car that speaks of power. The rules of the business game are pretty straightforward; people find it easy to imagine you in a position if you’re already behaving like you have it.

2. Improve Your Communication

The way you express your ideas, your enthusiasm, and your feedback, can indicate whether you can be trusted with bigger responsibilities. But more importantly, the way you make others feel through your behavior and unspoken communication can get you through any business door successfully. Little things like maintaining eye contact and managing stress can make a big difference in how confident other feel about you.

3. Improve Your Skills

Getting a promotion means that you will naturally need to apply a different kind of knowledge and skillset. More often than not, you’ll need a deeper understanding of your existing skills which you can get via training. While it’s not always easy to justify training investment within a business (especially if you’re training for a personal purpose), you can find a lot of online material to help you through. Google, for example, is providing free training for Google Analytics via its Academy and it provides a mix of theory and examples of best practices. If you work in the marketing and web design area, Google Analytics will be a tool that you need to use.

4. Go the Extra Mile

The extra mile makes all the difference between an employee who works and an employee who cares. It’s about making sure that you deliver the best possible results, even if it implies staying a little longer after 5 PM, or researching your project a little more thoroughly than you’d have thought. Employers are quick to notice high-quality work and to reward it trophys. Be careful though, Going the extra mile doesn’t mean accepting unrealistic workload or staying up all night to finish a task. It’s about giving all your attention to each project and it’s not something that you can do if you’re aiming to take on more than you can bite.

Try these four tips that we have to impress your employer to give you your dream promotion but bear in mind that none of these will work if you’re not passionate about what you do in the first place!