How to Get Promoted While Working Remotely: Stand Out, Even From Home
Hey friend! 👋
Last month, I watched a colleague get promoted to Associate Director while working fully remote. Meanwhile, another teammate—equally talented—got passed over for what felt like the third time this year.
The difference? Visibility.
When you’re working from home, “showing up” isn’t just about logging in. It’s about making sure the right people know you exist. They should see your impact. Also, they should remember your name when promotion conversations happen.
I learned this the hard way. I spent two years being the “reliable remote worker.” I got great reviews but somehow never made it to the next level.
The Remote Promotion Reality Check 📊
Here’s what I figured out: In-office workers get promoted through hallway conversations. They also advance through lunch meetings and those random moments. During those times, they solve problems in real-time. Remote workers? We have to be way more intentional.
Visibility isn’t about being loud or political—it’s about strategic communication. It’s making sure your wins don’t disappear into the void of Slack messages and email threads.
The good news? Once you know how to play this game, remote work can actually be an advantage. You can document everything. You can be more thoughtful about your communication. You can build relationships across departments without being limited by physical proximity.
Four Strategies That Actually Move the Needle
I asked my colleague who is slowly moving up the corporate ladder for tips and this is what was shared with me:
1. The Weekly “Wins” Email
Every Friday, send a brief email to your manager highlighting your week’s accomplishments. Not a lengthy report—just 3-4 bullet points of impact. “Closed the Peterson deal,” “Reduced onboarding time by 30%,” “Solved the API issue that was blocking the dev team.”
This isn’t bragging. It’s helping your manager remember your contributions when they’re asked about your performance.
2. Become the “Go-To” Person
Pick one thing you can become known for across the organization. Maybe it’s data analysis, customer insights, or project management. Then actively help other departments with that skill. In my case it was training. I became the go to for new hires in our department and I welcomed the challenge. It allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and make a name for myself.
When people from different teams start reaching out to you directly, you’ve created visibility beyond your immediate manager. That’s promotion gold.
3. The Strategic Over-Communication
Share your thought process, not just your results. Instead of “Task completed,” try “Completed the audit and found three areas for improvement. Based on the data, I recommend we prioritize the billing workflow issue since it affects 60% of our customers.”
This shows strategic thinking and makes you sound like leadership material.
4. Host, Don’t Just Attend
Start organizing something—a monthly knowledge sharing session, a book club, a cross-team brainstorming meeting. When you’re the person bringing people together, you naturally become more visible to senior leadership.
Plus, it positions you as someone who takes initiative and thinks beyond their job description. I volunteered to become the lead for getting our department certified with a national organization. This turned into a new department being created and I was placed in charge.
Your Mission This Week 🎯
Choose the strategy that feels most natural to you and implement it before next Friday.
If you’re feeling stuck on where to start, try the wins email. Write down three things you accomplished this week and send them to your manager. Keep it casual: “Hey [Name], wanted to share a quick update on what I wrapped up this week…”
I’m genuinely curious—what’s your biggest challenge with remote visibility? Are you struggling to get noticed, or do you worry about seeming too self-promotional?
Hit reply and let me know. I’ve been there, and I’d love to help you think through your specific situation.
Cheering you on, Tim.
P.S. The colleague who got promoted? She’d been doing version of the wins email for eight months. Her manager told her it made performance review conversations easier. He had a clear record of her impact. So guess what habit I have started……








