Solve the important problems to get ahead

If you only do one thing for your career today, watch this video from Stanford's Entrepreneurship Corner. There are some solid nuggets of career advice in there, but the main one we're talking about today is what I call "solving the important problems", otherwise known as "how to get promoted."

The job description that you responded to initially, interviewed, and negotiated your salary for is the bare minimum that is expected from you. If your employer just wants that particular job done, they probably considered hiring a contractor. If you have a full time job with benefits, then your employer is hoping and betting that you will grow your skills and abilities to solve tomorrow's problems. In other words, if you simply do what is asked of you, your tenure at that position is likely to be short. Managers can't afford to hire someone each time the job requirements change and their employees have "topped out" their potential.

What this means for you is that your job description is the bare minimum to pull a paycheck. If you want to be promoted and offered new responsibilities, then you need to show that you:

1. Already handle the stuff you were hired to do,
2. See new problems that need to be addressed (your boss' or boss' boss' problems), and
3. Take action to propose a solution or solve those new problems.

Notice that I said "Propose a solution or solve" in #3. Seeing a problem, calling it out, and shrugging your shoulders doesn't help you much, and it may get you the reputation as a Negative Nancy (or Negative Nate). People probably know how bad it is. They generally haven't left it that way on purpose.

Show your employer that you're ready for the next promotion up, and you're more likely to get it. If you don't, then you have a real-world example to show your next employer when you leave to seek the next step in your career.