Tips for Creating a Successful Promotion Packet: Suggestions and Ideas

Prepared by John Rebar for the 1999 EPC Annual Meeting, November 10, 1999. Revised by the EPC after a facilitated discussion on November 5, 2020 to assist professionals considering applying for promotion.

1. Understand the Professional Employee Promotion Process

A. For complete information check out the Professional Employee Promotion Process Information.

B. Know the professional titles, promotion criteria, and sequence of events in the process.

C. Get a copy of the Professional Employee Promotion Review Application and the Extension Professional Peer Review Committee’s (EPPRC) rating sheet: EPPRC Reviewer Worksheet (PDF).

D. Have an up-to-date job description.

E. Insist on timely, complete, and meaningful performance evaluations.

2. Create a Packet Information Gathering System for:

A. Leadership — What did you participate in? What did you lead?

B. Innovations — What did you initiate? How were you creative?

C. Educational Support — What high-quality work did you do? Have your responsibilities changed over time? What has been the outcome of your work on UMaine Extension, coworkers or customers? How have you worked in your programming independently or as a member of a team?

D. Professional Development — How have you improved your knowledge or skills and how have you applied these to your work?

In each of these areas track the impact of your work on customers, coworkers or UMaine Extension. Ask yourself “So what?”

3. Some Ideas for an Information Gathering System.

A. Add as much detail as possible to events on your calendar so you can go back and refer to the information later.

B. Save emails relating to projects you work on (use folders/labels to organize them).

C. Compile your information at least annually to avoid having to pull together all four years at once.

D. Use information gathered for your POW reporting.

E. Create spreadsheets or other tracking systems to keep track of your work.

F. Put detailed information about your work in your annual evaluations.

G. Keep a drawer or basket for physical copies of materials you created or that describe your work.

4. Decide That You Are Requesting Promotion.

A. Discuss your decision with your supervisor and administrator.

B. Assemble your packet. Address all four criteria within eight pages and label sections based on the requirements they meet. Include a table of contents. Some information may apply to more than one section. If a section does not apply to your position, make a note of that rather than just leaving it out.

C. Be succinct yet complete. Give enough detail to help someone unfamiliar with your work get a good idea of what you do. Avoid using program-specific acronyms reviewers might not be familiar with. Get feedback from people you trust within and outside your program area.

D. Use any format that makes sense to you as long as the reviewers can easily identify the relevant information for rating.

4. Submit Your Packet

A. Submit one (1) complete packet in a Word or PDF file document to Angela Hart.

B. Prepare yourself for feedback and look to learn from the experience.