World’s largest professional network shares tips to help professionals get promoted in 2011

London - January 26, 2011 - LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network with more than 90 million members worldwide, today revealed the best months of the year to get a promotion. The results offer employees an insight into the best times to approach their boss about making the next step up the career ladder.

According to LinkedIn’s data, the top three months when professionals in the UK are most likely to get promoted within their company are:

1. January

2. April

3. September

By analysing promotion status updates on LinkedIn profiles, the data reveals that promotion cycles for professionals are changing. While in the 1990s, January was traditionally the top month for getting ahead by a long way; in 2011, it’s slowly losing its hold. Younger professionals born in the 1980s – ‘Millennials’ - are also more likely to get promoted throughout the year.

Globally, the top months for professionals to get promoted are:

1. January

2. July

3. September

“LinkedIn was launched in 2003, but our data allows us to identify professional trends that span decades,” said DJ Patil, LinkedIn's chief scientist. "By shedding light on professional patterns, we hope to help our members achieve their career goals by using LinkedIn in the most effective and productive way possible.”

“The workplace is becoming more flexible, and traditional hierarchical structures are being dismantled making career progress quicker for the most connected in the workforce,” explains Matt Alder, Founder of MetaShift, Strategic Consultancy for HR and Recruitment. “This has been helped by the advent of professional networking sites that have allowed people to build their personal brand at work in a more structured and visible way. ‘Millennials’ are more comfortable with using technology this way and are more willing to seek recommendations and endorsements, giving them an advantage over older generations. Professional networking sites such as LinkedIn are becoming important, not just for external job seeking, but also for people to network and build their personal brand within their existing organisation.

” For professionals looking to land that next promotion, follow these top tips from LinkedIn:

Don’t be shy about revealing your skills

Impress your manager by learning new skills that go above and beyond your current role. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is complete and includes all the skills you’ve acquired. Expanding your horizons while working full time is a something managers look out for. If your company offers access to courses, take advantage of them. If you have industry qualifications or went back to school for a higher degree, mention them in your profile and during your review.

Get connections in high places

LinkedIn Advanced People Search lets you search by title so you can find professionals that have the position you want to be promoted to. Reaching out to potential mentors and peers is one way to prepare for that 2011 promotion. After the promotion, a strong relationship with a peer will give you a friendly ear you can rely on for advice should you need it.

Don’t take my word for it

Make sure you get some recommendations from people you’ve worked with and got on with. If a customer sends you an email thanking you for the event you put together for them in record time, maybe suggest that they provide you with a recommendation. If you’re connected to your boss on LinkedIn, they’ll see when you add a recommendation to your profile.

Research methodology

LinkedIn uncovered the best months of the year to get promoted by analysing aggregated profile information of its 90 million plus members across the globe and seeing when professionals reported being promoted while they were at the same company. The promotions were not attained via a job hop or by changing employers. The data that was evaluated was from January 1990 to December 2010.

About LinkedIn LinkedIn operates the world’s largest professional network on the Internet with more than 90 million members in over 200 countries and territories. The LinkedIn website launched in 2003 and currently counts executives from all Fortune 500 companies as members. The company is privately-held and has a diversified business model with revenues coming from user subscriptions, advertising sales and hiring solutions. LinkedIn is headquartered in Mountain View, California.