By: Matt See
Online Career Tips Staff

There is nothing more exciting than the thought of a potential career move.  The possibility of new opportunities always gets ones juices flowing. But the excitement and poor timing can lead to trouble.

For example, the best time to ask for a promotion probably isn’t after you missed an important deadline. Your lack of finishing on time is fresh on your bosses mind no matter how well you performed up until that point.

So if that isn’t the best time, when is the best time to…

Ask for a raise

There are both good and bad times to ask for a raise. Knowing the right time could score you a big payoff. Selecting the wrong time could sour you for future pay days. Just be smart, ask for a raise when you do something that catches the bosses eye. According to career guru Marie McIntyre, the best time to ask for a raise is when you have just completed a big project, solved a major problem, taken on new responsibilities, or done something else that was noteworthy.

When is the wrong time to ask? Definitely don’t ask after recently missing a major deadline, falling short of your goals and budget or after a major screw up. McIntyre also advises to pay attention to what is going in your boss’s world. If he was just called out on the carpet for missing a deadline or your company is in the middle of company-wide layoffs, it may not be the best time to ask.

Get promoted

Ok, so it is not just the raise you are looking for, you are looking for a full blown promotion. According to LinkedIn, January is the best month to get a promotion. Other great months are July and September.

Also pay attention to your company’s fiscal calendar. Typically a good time to ask for a promotion would be during the budgetary time for upcoming year. That will also avoid the “I would promote you, but it just isn’t in the budget this year,” excuse.

Secure a new job

A potential raise or promotion is not what you are seeking? Timing the search for a new job is very important. One of the worst times to pursue a new position is during the holiday’s or summer months. Most hiring manager are on vacation during this time making it hard to land a new position.

Instead of looking for a new job during this time, use the time to do an in-depth study of your next move. This will help you get a leg up on the competition when the job market widens in the fall. Most analysts advise starting to think about your next move six months beforehand.

[Why not get your degree online during the summer months?]

Remember good time management begins with planning. If you make the right plan for your career you should be able to land that raise, promotion or your dream job.