This article was published on January 26, 2011

LinkedIn data reveals the best months of the year to get a promotion


LinkedIn data reveals the best months of the year to get a promotion

LinkedIn, the professional social network touting more than 90 million users across the globe, just released interesting data any individual will want to consume.

Concerning the best months of the year to get a promotion, a Buck Consultants survey titled, “Compensation Planning for 2011,” notes that workers in the U.S. can expect only modest pay raises this year, although salary increases for 2011 will average 2.8 percent, an increase from the two previous years.

LinkedIn dove into data gleaned from their membership, discovering  the top three months for professionals in the U.S. to get promoted within their company are:

  1. January
  2. June
  3. July

Further, LinkedIn’s analytics team found certain industries in the U.S. see interesting spikes for when promotions occur throughout the year.  Examples in the following industries: accounting, defense & space, education management, higher education, military, non-profit organization management and research all tend to see a spike in promotions over the summer months more so than other industries.

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Globally the top months for professionals to get promoted are:

  1. January
  2. July
  3. September

Born in the 1980s like yours truly?  LinkedIn’s data reveals the promotions cycle for professionals is gradually changing due in part to millennials or professionals that were born in the 1980s.

Feel good millennials, LinkedIn deems you the professionals most likely to be promoted throughout the year (rather than just in January which is the case for most professionals).

With respect to the data, DJ Patil, LinkedIn’s chief scientist, yes LinkedIn has a chief scientist, states:

“LinkedIn was launched in 2003, but our data allows us to identify professional trends that span decades.  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.”

Adds Lindsey Pollak, a career and workplace expert:

“LinkedIn is the perfect place for professionals to get clients, vendors and other third parties to post recommendations on their profile. By encouraging other professionals to champion the work you do in your current role, you’ll be more likely to advance to the next level.”

Want to get promoted?  Here’s some tips from LinkedIn to set you up for success in 2011:

  • Shine the Spotlight on New Skills
  • Get Connections in High Places
  • Toot Your Horn

With one month nearly complete in 2011, heed the advice of LinkedIn, take the steps listed above, and watch your career grow at a parabolic rate the likes of which you’ve never seen.

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