Be the coworker people want on their shift. That’s a promotion plan most people overlook.

Decisions about who gets more responsibility rest partly on competence and largely on whether the day goes better when you are there. Being easy to work beside, doing your share, keeping the mood steady: all of it gets noticed by everybody, including whoever writes the rota. It is an advantage that needs no extra qualifications. Most people are busy trying to look impressive instead of being wanted.

Ask whether your shift partner is relieved or braced when they see your name. Then fix one thing about that: your timekeeping, your tone when it gets busy, how much you leave behind.