Ten Top Tips to Promotion Success – with a PostScript!
Putting in for promotion is one of the most stressful experiences any academic can experience. And no wonder – you are putting yourself forward to be judged by your peers. There is nothing worse, either, than putting in all the work that the application process requires, contacting your referees, waiting for anything up to nine months for due process to take its course and then finding out you weren’t successful. I know. It has happened to me.
I can’t take away that stress of waiting but, having sat on promotion panels in three large UK universities and worked with many women academics on their promotion applications, I do have some observations on how you can improve your success rate.
Here are my top tips:
1. Plan ahead. It is an obvious point, but I was caught out by this when I went for my first promotion from lecturer to senior lecturer. I decided to put in for promotion about a month ahead of the deadline. It was a big mistake. When I opened the application form I was shocked by how many referees I needed. I didn’t know that many people! You really need to plan at least twelve months to two years ahead even if this is just to line up some great referees.
2. Do a gap analysis. This links to planning ahead. Download the criteria now and work out where you have gaps in your CV. Focus on filling these. For example, for those on research and teaching contracts, it is often the case that women have more than enough teaching experience and not enough publications or research income. If you are on a full teaching contract, a common gap can be a lack of a strong external profile.
3. Work out a plan for how you are going to close those gaps. These tasks should be your primary focus between now and your promotion application deadline.
4. Enlist support. Speak to your line manager/head of department and let them know you are planning your next promotion. Tell them about the areas where you need extra evidence. Ask for their support. This might include negotiating workload commitments so that you have less teaching or administration so that you can give more time to your research. If you feel that your application would benefit from having more external esteem indicators such as keynotes, honorary positions, external awards, journal board membership, external examining, and so forth, ask for funding to attend events that will help build your visibility or recommendations on how you can build your networks that will bring opportunities. If you experience resistance to your requests, quote the evidence that this is an equity issue - women’s progression during the pandemic didn’t just stall in comparison to men, it fell back. If you need evidence for this, it is here and here – there is plenty more if you take a look.
5. Talk to people who have been recently promoted. Contact your HR or Head of School/Faculty and ask to meet with people who have been successful in the last promotion round. Learn from their experience.
6. Find a promotion mentor. Some Universities have a list of volunteers who have experience of the promotion process and will work with you to support your application. Your University HR site will have details. If this service is not available, find a colleague who is willing to guide you through the documentation and read your drafts.
7. Join a promotion network. Julie Hulme at Nottingham Trent University and Deborah Locke at Birmingham City University have set up the #ProfsinPrep network. Their mission for the network is to represent the rich diversity that exists within the sector and grow a full mentoring and support service. Do get in touch with them.
8. Create a compelling narrative about your research/teaching. Your application needs a strong narrative of your specific contribution to your research or teaching. This means having a single unified story about your contribution and the impact that it has had. Think about your audience. Promotion panels comprise individuals who will have no idea about your research or teaching. Keep it simple.
9. Combine number with the narrative. My headline bio states that I have acquired over £1.6m in external funding and have published over 15 books. This is a classic example of totalling a number of items. Combining number with narrative creates a more powerful account of your best self.
10. Focus on impact not description. Do not assume that your strengths speak for themselves. Your application is not a list of things you have done or a job description. It needs to speak to your contribution and impact.
PS: Use the ‘I’ word. In addition to your CV, promotion applications usually ask you to write a short narrative of why you think you have a case for promotion. This is one of those times when you have to use the personal pronoun. Own your achievements. You have worked hard to make them happen.
All the very best of luck with it.
With the warmest of wishes,
Christina
Professor Christina Hughes is Founder and CEO of Women-Space Leadership Limited. You can find more about here here.
If you need any support, Women-Space is here for you. To book a free consultation, just email me at christina@women-space.co.uk.
February 2023