secure a promotion

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "secure a promotion" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing the act of obtaining a higher position or advancement in a job or career. Example: "After years of hard work and dedication, I was finally able to secure a promotion within the company."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

During an extensive period of consulting in career coaching and organisational development, he has helped people to successfully manage a difficult boss and find a way to deliver improved results and secure a promotion.

The Guardian

Bobby Haber, the chief executive of CMJ Network — and a former music director of WBRS at Brandeis University — created a trade magazine, College Media Journal (now CMJ New Music Report), in 1978 after failing to secure a promotion job at CBS Records. "I was devastated," he said.

The New York Times - Arts

The tie concludes on Sunday with the reverse singles and Britain will hope to secure a promotion play-off against Belarus or Hungary if they can complete victory.

BBC

And by the time an opportunity arises to learn new skills or secure a promotion with added responsibilities, they might already have one foot out the door.

Forbes

I had my eye on a couple of teams that seemed to better align with my interests, and I devised plans to secure a promotion that would offer more responsibilities.

Forbes

Ultimately, Bo Yibo helped him gain a seat with the Shanxi delegation, but the younger Bo was unable to secure a promotion.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

And less than a third of them have found a new job or secured a promotion.

The New York Times

After a few unsuccessful attempts at securing a promotion, Ludwick asked himself, "What will it take to set me apart from the other people looking for these jobs?" What it took was additional training.

University of California, Berkeley

In "Flame," Nimei hears from an old love that he is coming to visit: realizing that he has become an important official, she engages in complex machinations at work in the hope of securing a promotion for her husband in order to impress her ex.

The New York Times - Books

Alloa Athletic secured a promotion play-off place after hammering Scottish League One rivals Brechin City 6-1.

BBC

Clyde moved closer to securing a promotion play-off place with a convincing win that extends managerless Montrose's run without a victory.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing career goals, use "secure a promotion" to emphasize the proactive effort required to achieve advancement.

Common error

While both verbs involve obtaining something, "secure" implies obtaining something through effort or diligence, whereas "ensure" means to guarantee or make certain. Therefore, use "secure a promotion" when talking about actively working towards advancement. Refrain from using "ensure a promotion" as this would not be an idiomatic usage.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "secure a promotion" functions as a verb phrase. It typically acts as the predicate of a clause, describing the action of successfully obtaining a promotion, as confirmed by Ludwig AI.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Wiki

20%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Science

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "secure a promotion" is a grammatically correct and relatively uncommon way to describe obtaining a higher position in a job or career. According to Ludwig AI, this phrase is appropriate in many contexts and semantically related to phrases like "get a promotion" or "earn a promotion". While professional in register, it is more specific about the act of proactively working toward career advancement. It is important to avoid using "secure a promotion" interchangeably with "ensure a promotion". The most frequent context of use are News & Media, Wiki and Formal & Business.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

get a promotion

Direct synonym, replacing "secure" with "get" for a more informal tone.

obtain a promotion

Replaces "secure" with "obtain", suggesting a slightly more formal tone.

earn a promotion

Implies that the promotion was achieved through effort and merit.

achieve a promotion

Similar to "earn a promotion", emphasizing accomplishment.

land a promotion

More colloquial, suggesting a successful outcome after effort.

be promoted

Passive voice, focusing on the action being done to the person.

get a step up

Informal and shorter way to describe the same meaning.

move up the corporate ladder

Idiomatic expression referring to career advancement in a company.

advance in one's career

Broader term for making progress in a profession, not necessarily a single promotion.

rise through the ranks

Emphasizes a gradual climb through different levels in an organization.

FAQs

What does "secure a promotion" mean?

To "secure a promotion" means to successfully obtain a higher position or level of responsibility within a company or organization, usually through hard work and demonstrating competence.

What can I say instead of "secure a promotion"?

You can use alternatives like "get a promotion", "obtain a promotion", or "earn a promotion" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "secure a promotion"?

Yes, "secure a promotion" is a correct and commonly used phrase in English to describe the act of successfully obtaining a promotion.

How do you use "secure a promotion" in a sentence?

Example: "After consistently exceeding expectations, she was able to secure a promotion to senior manager."