Making the step from analyst to associate

Obviously it’s always good to get a promotion, especially when you feel like you’re on the bottom rungs of a big ladder that you can’t wait to climb. So that promotion from analyst to associate feels like it’s huge – and it is, you should be congratulated. But here’s our tips for making the transition a smooth one.

Work for it

There’s an unspoken rule that once you’ve done three years as an analyst, then you automatically make the step up to associate, but this isn’t always the case. Some employers offer an accelerated program, which can mean you feel you’re progressing when actually your key skills haven’t been honed yet.

Making the transition requires you to have the appropriate skill set, and if you don’t, there’s a whole host of people willing to take your place, so don’t fall off the treadmill – hone your independent work skills and be seen as responsible, and you’ll have the best chance at success.

Once you’ve made the step, secure it

Your job won’t change immediately, and in fact after your promotion you might wonder what all the fuss was about. It’s easy to slack a little now you’ve made the jump, but don’t get caught out – you need to continue to prove your worth to show that you’re capable of handling whatever is given to you.

As you work through the ranks, your job will change – you’ll be given more important contracts and people will expect more of you, especially in your own generation and fulfilment of your own ideas for projects. You’ll be expected to work with analysts, and in time, manage them.

Become a leader

Part of the ongoing process of climbing the ladder is that you will need to lead people rather than be led. To succeed, you’ll need to hone your people skills so that you are equally comfortable taking on tasks from those above you and managing and delegating to those below. You’ll be taking analysts’ work and checking it, and the responsibility for mistakes will become yours.

The key is making people feel you’re working with them at any given time, and you must not take your analysts for granted, or they won’t trust or work hard for you. You should help them through and keep spirits high, and that way, the best work will be completed on a regular basis.