Colleague in line for promotion above me

[User12765]

Hello,

There is a promotion available within my team by end of year and my colleague and I both want it. We are about the same level and have similar roles and responsibilities, though I have a year more experience then her I don't think this counts for anything. I would say I'm more quiet, a safe pair of hands that gets on with things without fuss. She is much more vocal and voices when she is unhappy.
My colleague is in line to get the promotion over me, and they are suggesting I move teams at some point where there is a gap for that level and that is how I'll be promoted.

I just feel very unhappy and have a meeting with senior management next week. I am not sure how to articulate that I don't think it's fair without actually bringing her into it?

@Aprilx I am not going to complain that it's unfair. I am having a meeting where I can hopefully identify opportunities for me, without mentioning my colleague at all. I am feeling disheartened and posting on here anonymously about that but I don't intend to relay those specific private thoughts to my manager. I am just seeking support on how best to navigate the meeting and I have received really useful advice on that front.

In all reality if there is a promotional role up for grabs the compabt should follow a fair selection process and interview you both and have st least 2 on tye interview panel. This is following equal opportunities. Otherwise people could just promote their friends.

Not necessarily. In my company there is an annual promotion process and it’s based on a selection process - no interviews involved, all down to performance and perception. Very senior promotions will go through an interview but it’s not like a job interview

Even if you applied for an internal role at a higher grade and were successful, you would move at your current grade and have to prove yourself. Only way you would get promoted is through the annual promotion process when that comes around, if it is felt you are performing at that higher level

It does create a strange competitive culture where some enjoy the path to promotion and others leave because they know they will never get promoted

You said in your first post that you weren’t sure how to articulate that they weren’t being fair. Hence my comments. 🙄

There is a brilliant Ted Talk I watched about having a sponsor at work by Carla Harris. It's about having someone with work capital using their voice to get your name in conversations 'at the table'.

It sounds like your colleague, via this other account, has managed to get some form of sponsor like relationship which has helped push her forward. It looks like you haven't had the same organic chance, so need to do some legwork yourself.

I fully recommend watching the video, it's on YouTube. It definitely puts a lot of things in perspective.

@Aprilx yes complain of unfairness without bringing my colleague into it is what I said. What I meant by that is unfairness of not being given opportunities to progress on other accounts, I'm being held where I am because I keep everything ticking over. Essentially I am going to try and self-advocate to move teams in order to obtain a promotion since there can't be two in my team. What is unfair is I'm doing the job anyway but still can't get a promotion here. The system has become unfair as a cost-saving exercise. Being able to talk through the situation with MN has helped me think things through.

There is no need to be rude and eye roll at me. Women should support each other to progress in the workplace.

@Alarae this is so helpful thank you! I agree with everything you have said. I will check out the Ted talk!