How to Pick Yourself Up After Missing Out on a Promotion

If you've experienced missing out on a promotion in your career already, the event is always a deeply personal and painful one, if you haven't, let's prepare you. You may have thought you had it in the bag, or you may have just thrown your hat in the ring – either way, losing out stings. You may feel incredibly low for days or weeks, but there are ways to pick yourself up and move on.

The first thing you should do is allow yourself to wallow for a little while. Don't think of it as a 'pity party' so much as a chance to acknowledge your emotions and start to process them. Let the disappointment, anger, hurt and pain come to the surface – without recognising them, you won't be able to let go and move on.

Make sure you speak to someone about how you're feeling. It's important to share your emotions - getting your feelings off your chest and receiving support and reassurance are important in looking after yourself. Sharing your problems can allay your fears about your abilities and help you look to the future.

Once you've taken some time to yourself, it's worth asking for feedback. If your manager can explain precisely why you weren't promoted this time around, you have some takeaways you can work from. Knowing where your apparent weaknesses lie will enable you to work on them and impress next time around.

Above all, remain optimistic. Remember that we all go through it, even the most successful of company leaders. Give yourself time and space, and you'll move on to even greater things.