Wanting to excel in your career of choice means doing what needs to be done to earn promotions. For employees in some industries, one way to move up is to become an assistant manager. Assistant managers take on many leadership responsibilities such as supervising employees, handling customer complaints and submitting monthly reports. If you want to become an assistant manager, set some realistic goals to get promoted.

Strive to be Efficient

If you want to be an assistant manager, make it a goal to have all your work finished on time. Better yet, strive to complete assignments earlier than expected. If you work in retail and your manager gives you all day to put together a new display, finish it before lunch if possible. You might have to push yourself a little to finish tasks early, but do this consistently and you'll stand out when management needs to fill an assistant manager position. Also, develop ideas to increase efficiency in your department. If you work in a restaurant, for example, think of ways to decrease the amount of time it takes to turn out orders or seat customers. Your ideas and initiative can help you move up the ranks.

Be Punctual

Some employees have a difficult time with work tardiness. If you want to become an assistant manager, make sure you don't have this problem. In fact, set your alarm clock earlier than needed. Make it a goal to be clocked in and at your workstation at least five minutes early every day if you want to get promoted. Make sure you attend meetings on time, whether they are with management, colleagues or customers. Also, be willing to stay late when possible and don't speed out the door at 5 p.m. on the dot every day.

Look for Ways to Take Charge

Ultimately, being an assistant manager is a position of leadership. Set a goal to step up the next time a conflict arises and no one is around who wants to deal with it. For example, if a customer has a complaint, listen to him closely and try to find a satisfactory solution on your own. You could also look for opportunities to be a leader without being asked, such as coming up with a faster system to do inventory or process returns.

Give More

To become an assistant manager, seek opportunities to give more to the company. Set a goal to participate in one non-work activity per quarter, such as heading up the company clothing drive or planning your organization's holiday party. You can also volunteer for extra assignments at work or for projects that require overtime. If you see an unmet need, volunteer to fill it. If the company provides special training or offers employees a chance to broaden their skills through continuing education courses, sign up. Businesses tend to reward employees who show an interest in growing professionally.