French verb question

[Cunctator]

If one is saying "Mary was promoted" in the sense of getting a higher paid, more responsible job, what is the correct French verb? Avancer? Élever? Promouvoir? The dictionaries that I've consulted seem somewhat contradictory.

[clairobscur]

"Etre promu" ou "recevoir de l'avancement". Marie a ete promue, ou Marie a reçu de l'avancement. The first one can be be followed by the new job/title ("Marie a ete promue chef de departement" ), not the second, so you might have to give more precisions ("J'ai reçu de l'avancement! Maintenant, je suis adjoint au sous-chef!").

You can't say only "avancer" ("Marie a ete avancee" would mean that someone pushed her somewhere).

"Etre eleve" is rare and only used for some official jobs or titles : "Le capitaine de vaisseau Dupont a ete eleve au rang et a l'appellation de contre-amiral" , "Mme Martin a ete elevee au rang de commandeur de la legion d'honneur" , "L' eveque Dubois a ete eleve au titre de cardinal"....

[Cunctator]

A very clear explanation. Mille remerciements clairobscur.

[Cunctator]

A follow up question.

Is it Marie a été promue or Marie a été promûe?

My Bescherelle suggests that the past participle requires a circonflex on the u, but my dictionaries are a bit vague on the subject.

[Hypnagogic Jerk]

Is it Marie a été promue or Marie a été promûe?
It would be "promue". When you feminize or pluralize the participle, it loses its accent. Same thing for other verbs like "devoir" ("dû" which becomes "due", "dus", "dues").