Workplace Asking for a "promotion" via email?

I would send an email only to ask for a video conference or teleconference and discuss this with them verbally.

I agree with bnjj. A conversation as significant as this, should be done, at the very least, over teleconference or video conference.

I also agree with bnjj.

LOL I also agree with bnjj :lol:

If you and your company are located in the same city but you work from home, then I would schedule face-to-face time... However if you are in two different states, then an email along with a conference call should be fine!

Kansashalo - ITA.

OP, these kinds of interactions can be challenging so it really is important that you do them at least verbally as so much can be misinterpreted via email. Do you have any regular one-on-ones with your manager or is speaking with him/her something that happens infrequently/never? If we knew a bit more about how you usually interact it might help with suggestions :smile:

Also, just my two cents - I would not mention getting off your parents' health care. I would suggest that it's fine to convey that obtaining health care through the company is a priority but I wouldn't say it's because you've been off your parents' policy. It may have the effect of showing how young/inexperienced you are, which puts you in a lesser position of power. That might not be fair but it's a reality :hugs:
 
LOL I also agree with bnjj :lol:



Kansashalo - ITA.

OP, these kinds of interactions can be challenging so it really is important that you do them at least verbally as so much can be misinterpreted via email. Do you have any regular one-on-ones with your manager or is speaking with him/her something that happens infrequently/never? If we knew a bit more about how you usually interact it might help with suggestions :smile:

Also, just my two cents - I would not mention getting off your parents' health care. I would suggest that it's fine to convey that obtaining health care through the company is a priority but I wouldn't say it's because you've been off your parents' policy. It may have the effect of showing how young/inexperienced you are, which puts you in a lesser position of power. That might not be fair but it's a reality :hugs:

I pretty much never, ever speak to him, and I have been with the company over a year. When I started they were kind of restructuring, so he was not even the one who hired me(I was hired by the previous manager who moved to a different department, he was SO NICE). I met him in person one time at a dinner for interns where he kind of acted like he wasn't even aware I was on his team. I ended up working remotely, and he didn't move his office to actually be near my team until after I moved 300mi away. Other than that, we have spoken probably less than 10 times and always when there is an emergency with a customer that he knows I can fix, or I sometimes contact him if there is a problem with my timesheet via email. That's probably a big part of why I feel anxious talking to him, I just never interact with him one on one.
 
Yikes. That's tough. I've managed people for a decade and can't imagine not interacting with them regularly. I'm in Massachusetts and have had people work for me in California and I still met with them (via phone) at least once or twice a month to check in, discuss progress, and give them an opportunity to interface with their manager. I can understand why you're anxious. Even without the distance these types of conversations can be difficult. But the topics you want to review really should be discussed via conf call if at all possible. If you were local you'd broach the topic in person so I think a phone call is a reasonable alternative given the situation.

You know your company and situation best and should proceed however you feel comfortable. I will give you my suggestion just for consideration.

If I were in your situation, I would email my manager something to this effect:

Hi [Manager],

I know your schedule is busy but would it be possible to schedule a quick conference call to chat? I've been thinking about how to increase my involvement in the company and would very much appreciate your input.

Thanks,
[Name]


The message is short, gets to the point without being confrontational, and is posed in a way that you're soliciting his insight. If he comes back and says "yes" then you're fine to proceed. If he says no then at least you tried and you can follow up via email.

If/when you talk with him I would try to stick to the key topics and leave emotion and personal info (e.g. insurance) out of the conversation unless he asks direct questions. If your objective is to obtain a full-time position then you could start by expressing that you've enjoyed working on the team and was wondering if there is an opportunity for you to transition into a full-time role. It's a simple question and should be asked nicely. You may not love the answer but at least you'll have it. If he says "no", you could follow up with "Okay, I understand and appreciate your letting me know. Do you have any suggestions on how I might be able to expand my role in the company? I'd really appreciate your insight."

That's just my thinking :cool:

I have some thoughts to share after reading the earlier posts:
-Is there a reason your team lead hasn't addressed this issue with your manager? I'm not clear what the hierarchy is. I just want to ensure that it's appropriate that you address this with your manager directly.
-Part of the reason people hire part-time employees is because the company doesn't have to pay benefits. It's not a shortcoming with your individual situation; it's the norm and therefore shouldn't be referred to as a problem (I'm not suggesting that you are doing that).
-If your company publishes job postings have you looked at them to see if there is a full-time position you could apply for?
-Re raises: In every company I've been with they're only given during annual reviews unless the manager takes the initiative to restructure/redefine a position (which is not common in my experience). I'm not sure how long you've been in your position and if you've had an annual review but if you're asking for a salary adjustment mid-cycle I don't know how likely you are to get it. However, as a part-time employee if you're paid hourly it may be reasonable to bring up the rate if you're not stuck on a regular adjustment cycle...
 
LOL!! No one ever agrees with me!

Haha I agree too! Really, OP you should be able to schedule a phone call for this. It's important!

Also this-
-Is there a reason your team lead hasn't addressed this issue with your manager? I'm not clear what the hierarchy is. I just want to ensure that it's appropriate that you address this with your manager directly.
 
Hi OP! Just wondering how things are going? Happy to help in any way I can :smile:
Hi Jennifer! Thanks for asking, I've been meaning to respond to your post. Your advice was so great/thorough, I've just been sick/swamped at work so unable to respond like I wanted to.

To answer a couple of your previous questions...

-Is there a reason your team lead hasn't addressed this issue with your manager? I'm not clear what the hierarchy is. I just want to ensure that it's appropriate that you address this with your manager directly.
When I brought it up to her, she said she has brought it up a few times and commented that "you know how management is." I pretty much report to her, she reports to the person who manages some of the teams in our department(this is the guy I need to talk to), then above him I believe there is a manager for our entire department(have only met him twice -- once to get his signature on my offer letter, once at an intern dinner and I didn't even knew who he was then). When she told me she has brought it up to management, she said to not feel bad going above her head and talking to him.

-If your company publishes job postings have you looked at them to see if there is a full-time position you could apply for?
My team lead suggested this to me as well, the problem is there are never any virtual positions that would be related to my area of expertise. But actually, one happened to pop up yesterday that I might be qualified for. My boyfriend told me I should just apply for it even if it's not a 100% fit, what do you think about that? One of my teammates who got brought on full time when I was still an intern told me this is how he pressured them to make him full time on our time... just pretty much started applying to every posting for a full time job, regardless of qualifications.


I haven't taken any action on this yet unfortunately... I know the general consensus is that I should set up a call, but one thing I did not mention is that my manager has a really thick accent. It has not been a problem until now since we've had really minimal interaction, but when I've listened in on conference calls I just can't understand him. Probably if I interacted with him more I'd be used to his accent, since I've been around people with all different accents all my life and never had a real problem. But anyway, this adds to my anxiety around addressing things with him on the phone... what if I asked him everything I wanted to, said everything I needed to, etc. and then I have NO IDEA what he responds? I could just picture the awkward silence afterward lol Eventually I guess I am just going to have to take the plunge and do it though, because the longer I wait the more unhappy I am with this job.
 
Hi OP,

I hope things are going better at work!

It's too bad your team lead hasn't been able to make headway with your manager but it's good she gave you the okay to proceed directly. Maybe mention this in your email to him - that she suggested you reach out to him so there's no confusion.

Re the job listing - if you think you could do it and going full-time is important then I think there's no harm in going for it, however if you prefer to try making your current position full-time then I'd proceed with that first and soon. I suppose I look at applying for other positions as a follow-up recourse if you can't make it work in your current position and there's only one way to find out about that. It sounds like you know you just need to take the plunge and do it :smile: If it goes badly and you can't understand him with his accent it's okay - you're no worse off than before and at least you tried.

I say just pull the trigger, hon! Sometimes delaying something makes it so much worse for your nerves. I think you see from all the responders' messages that the consensus is that it's the right step to reach out to your manager so I urge you to take the plunge and you'll feel better after you try no matter how it ends up because then you won't be worrying about it and will be free to take more informed next steps afterward. :hugs:
 
I just sent the email asking him for a meeting to discuss things... I'm so nervous now I could just die lol Hopefully it'll work out... thanks to everyone who offered advice and words of encouragement, I'll be sure to update this and let you all know how it works out :smile:
 
Good for you, OP! I'm rooting for you :hugs: No matter what the response is to your email you did the right thing for you and can move forward afterward.

Please do let us know how things are going and send an SOS if you want feedback on anything :sos:
 
Just a small update... he responded late last week that he'd be happy to chat with me and sent me a meeting invite for 7/7. He also mentioned in the email that I've been a great asset to the team and that my team leader has had nothing but good things to say about me since day one, so that's a good sign! The only thing I am stressing over now is how to actually start the conversation and what to say, hoping to take some notes down today that I can keep up on my screen while we chat on the phone. Any tips on how to get the conversation going would be appreciated :smile: