Bouncing back after a bad punch

Didn’t get that promotion or corner office that you’ve been working months towards? Try these tips to get your career back on track

Contrary to popular belief, getting overlooked for a promotion isn’t a career death sentence or a signal to abandon ship. Sometimes it can be a sign that you just need to adjust your goal posts like Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann did.

The striker was recently crushed when he missed out on the top three spots for this year’s FIFA Player of the Year Award despite the Europa League win and his four crucial goals in Russia that helped France win the World Cup. Despite the setback, the 27-year-old has vowed to give the next three months his best as he sets his sights on winning the Champions League and the prestigious Ballon d’Or.


Yes, getting passed over for a promotion can be dejecting but if you maintain some perspective, it is possible that you can triumph with both your reputation and ego intact. Here are a few tips to help you get over the hump:

Check the negativity

Unless you’re a robot, finding out you got passed up for a promotion can be a bitter pill to swallow and it’s instinctive to want to lash out. However, getting angry and depressed will not get you another promotion and may, in fact, hamper the professional reputation you’ve worked so hard to build. At that moment, it’s important to take a step back and calmly process that cocktail of emotions that comes with being passed over — surprise, frustration, disappointment and anger. Give yourself the chance to cool off before making any hasty decisions.

Use it as a stepping stone

While there’s nothing wrong with expressing disappointment, make sure you take the time to find out how you could have done better. Rather than dropping passive-aggressive hints or stewing in a storm of ‘what ifs’, the professional thing to do would be to approach your manager directly or someone high up in the organisation that you trust and ask them “How can we work together to make sure I get promoted in the future?” By going straight to the source, not only will you gain insight into areas in which you can improve but you’ll also be able to understand how the leadership team thinks when it comes to appraisals.

It’s important to note that there is usually a combination of factors involved when you’re passed over for a promotion. In case you think your boss isn’t being straight with you, feel free to approach a trusted senior or knowledgeable person within the company to get their take.

Act, don’t wallow

Once you have concrete feedback, start working on an action plan to make that promotion a reality. For example, if you were passed up for not bringing in enough business leads, try expanding your circle of influence. Throughout this process, make sure you have a set time frame in mind to achieve your goals. You don’t want to be stuck in an endless cycle of feedback that goes nowhere.

Have a Plan B

Finally, if you’ve set a reasonable timeline but it hasn’t worked out or if you feel there may be some other forces keeping you from that promotion, consider an exit plan. You don’t have to jump right to mailing stacks of resumes. But it might be a good idea to brush up on your contacts so that you’re ready for new opportunities when they appear.