Understanding Promotion Cycles

As a junior lawyer, I had to piece together information on how to get promoted. In case it helps somebody going through the process for the first time, here’s what I’ve learned going through 4 rounds of promotion cycles (most successful, some not): 1️⃣ Most people start the promotion process too late. The best time is 6-12 months before the application date. This gives you enough time to gather evidence of your achievements, work on any shortcomings in your promotion application and align with your manager / stakeholders before budgets and resourcing are locked in. 2️⃣ Promotion policies can contain 10+ criteria to meet, but trying to address them all in an application with a word limit will dilute your message. Instead, choose 3-5 criteria that you can craft a strong narrative around. 3️⃣ It's hard to remember and quantify your accomplishments if you aren't tracking them throughout the year. Setting up an ongoing tracker early is helpful (I use Microsoft Planner), especially around those 3-5 criteria you've chosen. 4️⃣ It’s okay to try for a promotion before you feel completely ready. Even if your first attempt is unsuccessful, you'll learn things from the experience that will make it harder for them to say no the second time (like I did). Better to apply a year early than a year late. 5️⃣ Understand that there are things outside of your control in determining whether your promotion will be successful or not (e.g. budget and resourcing constraints, stakeholders who aren’t fond of you for non-work reasons, economic conditions etc). The goal is to focus on the things that are within your control and maximise your chances as much as possible. Here’s what the timeline / process can look like using these principles: 🔹 1 year out- Learn about your organisation’s promotion process (deadlines, forms to submit, promotion criteria, stakeholders in the approval process) 🔹 6-12 months out - Have a discussion with your manager to let them know that you intend to apply for the promotion, identify any areas you may need to improve on, and agree on goals to achieve that would maximise your chance of success in the application. 🔹 6 - 12 months out - Choose a few promotion criteria to focus on and set up a system to track and quantify your contributions towards those criteria in your current work. 🔹 1 month out - Write up a draft promotion application (ask your colleagues if they can share theirs) 🔹 2-4 weeks out - Remind your manager and ask if they could review and provide feedback on your draft application. 🔹 Submission before the deadline. 🔹 If unsuccessful, follow up for feedback and agree on a plan for improving your application for next time. Anything else you’d add? ----- Next week, I’ll be sending out a step-by-step guide on how to apply for a promotion with practical examples to the 7,782 people on my mailing list. If you're interested, I hope you'll subscribe via my website or the link in my profile and give it a read.

Over the past six years at Microsoft, I’ve been promoted four times, moving from L59 to L63. My manager told me that promotions are all about showing your intent and backing it up with action. This was one of the biggest lessons that I learned early in my career which helped me achieve these promotions. Let me share a story about two junior engineers who joined after me. We’ll call them A and B. Both came from excellent colleges. Engineer A ► Promoted after 1 year Engineer B ► Promoted after 2 years Engineer A’s Approach (First 2 Weeks): - Asked me how promotions work at Microsoft. - Inquired about what actions are needed for career growth. - Spoke with managers and senior engineers to gather insights. After gathering this information, Engineer A developed these habits: - Went the extra mile after completing his tasks. - Reviewed others’ pull requests (PRs) and asked questions. - Was always eager to learn more and enjoyed collaborating. - Regularly discussed various concepts used in our projects. Engineer B’s Approach: - Started thinking about promotions after 6-7 months on the job. - Had a strong work ethic and completed all tasks efficiently. - Focused solely on doing his tasks well without understanding the bigger picture. - Built a good reputation for reliability but didn’t show intent for the next level. When Engineer B asked me how to move to the next level, I explained it this way: "You don’t get promoted because they expect you to level up after the promotion. You get promoted because you’re already performing at the next level. The promotion should feel like the obvious next step to your leaders." The key difference between A and B’s approaches is simple: – Don’t wait for months to start thinking about promotion. Begin early by understanding what’s required. – Connect with managers and senior team members to gain insights and guidance. – Take initiative, help others, and see the bigger picture. Show that you’re ready for more responsibility. Start performing at the next level now, and the promotion will follow naturally.

If you want to be promoted by December, here's what needs to happen by August 15th. And no, it's not about crushing your Q3 targets (those are table stakes). After 25+ years watching promotion decisions get made, I can tell you exactly how the timeline works—and why most people miss their window by months. The reality: Your promotion gets decided 4-6 months before it's announced. And for promotions to Managing Director the process can truly start up to 24 months in advance. Which means if you're just now "proving yourself," you're already too late for this cycle. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂: 𝗧-𝟭𝟴𝟬 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀: Level up. Start visibly operating at the next level. Don't wait for permission. Your boss needs to see you in the role before they can advocate for it. 𝗧-𝟭𝟱𝟬 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀: Build your coalition. Identify 3-5 stakeholders who'll be in the room when your name comes up. Get on their radar with strategic value, not just good work. 𝗧-𝟭𝟮𝟬 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀: Demonstrate future impact. Not your accomplishments—your future impact. "Here's what I'll deliver in the new role" beats "Here's what I did last year" every time. 𝗧-𝟵𝟬 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀: Make THE ask. Have THE conversation. "I'm ready for X role. Here's my plan for the transition. What do you need to see to make this happen?" Make your boss your co-conspirator, not your judge. 𝗧-𝟲𝟬 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀: Lock in sponsor support. Your direct boss proposes. Their boss approves. Their boss's boss signs off. Know who these people are and what they care about. 𝗧-𝟯𝟬 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀: Navigate the politics. This is when competing interests surface. Budget constraints. Peer jealousy. Organizational restructures. Stay visible, valuable, and above the fray. The painful truth? Most people start this process too late and are left frustrated when they find they've missed the boat and have to wait a whole 'nother cycle before trying again. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸: 1. Map out your promotion timeline working backwards from your target date 2. Identify exactly who needs to say "yes" (hint: it's rarely just your boss) 3. Schedule a strategic conversation about "future opportunities"—not a performance review Remember: Promotions aren't rewards for past performance. They're bets on future potential. And that bet gets placed long before you think it does. 🎯 Question for my network: When did you realize you'd missed your promotion window? What would you do differently knowing this timeline? ----------------------------- ♻️ Share with someone who needs to start their promotion campaign NOW, not in Q4 ➕ Follow Courtney Intersimone for more insights on executive advancement and leadership mastery

One of the best pieces of advice I got from an engineering manager at Google, who had 15 years of experience and had mentored over 200+ software engineers, changed my life and how I looked at promotions. I still remember, I was 6 months into my time at Google, and I spotted him grabbing lunch. It was a very ad-hoc spur of the moment meeting, but the advice he gave even then was solid and has helped over the years. I only asked him, "Sir, what is that 1 mantra you've seen for continued career growth and promotions for SWEs under your wing?" [1] Everyone wants to do big things, but very few get the small things right, consistently. Master the basics, do your current job so well that nobody has to ask if you’re performing. [2] Once you’re reliable, start asking, ‘How can I help?’, look for problems, and volunteer for what’s needed. When you get extra responsibilities, treat them as seriously as your main job. [3] After you’ve delivered, come back with a purpose: ‘What’s the next thing I can do to create more impact for the team?’ [4] Then, repeat this loop. Promotions are the byproduct of trust, impact, and visible growth. Make the cycle your habit. That advice stuck with me. For years, whenever I felt stuck, I’d go back to this loop: – Get the basics right, every time. – Show initiative, ask how you can help. – Take new tasks seriously, even if they seem small. – Check in, set new goals, repeat. It’s not flashy. But that’s exactly why it works. The engineers who rise fastest are the ones who build trust by doing the obvious, over and over, until people know they can count on them for anything bigger. If you want to grow, stop searching for magic formulas. Build your own loop of this kind and let your actions speak for you.

Can we start this week with some real talk please. Promotions aren’t a calendar event. They’re a readiness event. I’ll admit, early in my career, I thought promotions came with time. If you did the job long enough, you’d be rewarded with the next title. And honestly? In my first role out of college… that’s kind of how it worked. Stay long enough, you move up. No one really questioned it. But fast forward through many jobs, career pivots, and leadership roles, and I’ve learned this: The opportunities I wanted most didn’t come from tenure. They came when I had the skills, experiences, and impact to actually succeed in that next role. And those things? They don’t follow a neat 12-month cycle. Sometimes you’re ready in 8 months. Sometimes it takes 3 years. Sometimes you realize the role you thought you wanted… isn’t even the right one for you. If you’re aiming for that next step, focus less on the date and more on the data: ➡️ What gaps do you still need to close? ➡️ What experiences do you need to seek out? ➡️ What results will make your case undeniable? Careers don’t move on autopilot. They move when you’re ready, not when the calendar says so.

The promotion went to someone with less experience than you. You've probably seen this happen and wondered what they had that you didn't. Here's what I've learnt after mentoring over 283+ privacy professionals: It wasn't their qualifications that got them noticed. Most people think career advancement is a qualification game. Stack more certifications, gain more experience, collect more credentials. But that's the qualification trap. Career advancement is a positioning game. The person who got promoted had three things you didn't: They had strategic visibility with decision makers. Not just good work... but visible work to the right people. They communicated impact clearly. They didn't just complete tasks. They solved problems that mattered to leadership. They positioned themselves as the solution. While others waited to be "qualified enough," they became indispensable. You're not underqualified. You're undercoached on how career advancement actually works. Your technical skills might be superior. Your work quality might be outstanding. But without strategic positioning, talent stays invisible to the people making promotion decisions. Here's what changes everything: Understanding that expertise without positioning is just expensive overhead. The coaching breakthrough isn't about working harder. It's about working strategically. What do you think? Comment below

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 “𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲” 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. That’s not how promotions happen. In my career, I’ve landed promotions and helped my team get theirs and here’s the truth: Promotions aren’t just given. They’re earned, communicated, and advocated for. Here’s what’s worked for me (and my team): 💡 1. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 When I wanted my next promotion, I didn’t keep it a secret. I told my boss what role I was aiming for and asked: “What would need to be true for this to happen?” That conversation became my roadmap. 💡 2. 𝗢𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 I didn’t wait for annual reviews to “check in.” I set my own follow-ups, tracked my wins, and made sure my leader had stories and results they could share up the chain. 💡 3. 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 When I wanted to pivot into Project Management (with no openings posted), I leaned on my internal network. One conversation turned into an opportunity and that became my promotion AND career pivot. 💡 4. 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 As a leader, I had monthly career development conversations with my team. If someone wanted a promotion, we built the plan together and then I made sure other leaders knew their impact long before the next promotion cycle. By the time the decision came, it wasn’t a debate. It was a “yes.” 💡 5. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 Don’t just hope leadership sees your value. Make it undeniable. When I went to bat for my team, I created the BEST damn promotion case you’ve ever seen, with data, results, and proof they were ready. ✨ 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: If you want your next promotion, you can’t just work hard. You have to make your impact visible, your goals known, and your advocates loud. What’s ONE step you’re taking this quarter to move closer to your next promotion? 💬If you need help building your promotion roadmap or business case, let’s chat! ♻️ Share this if you want to see more people in your network own their promotion path.

I was an engineering manager for almost 10 years. Here are five hard truths about promotions that your manager will never tell you. The path to promotion at most companies is opaque, inconsistent — and often unfair. Here are five uncomfortable realities you should know: 1. Disgruntled flight-risks take precedence over happy engineers They promote when they’re afraid to lose you — not just because you “earned it.” 2. Being popular is at least as important as being competent If your manager’s manager doesn’t know who you are, you’re already behind. 3. Working on low-impact projects kills your chances Companies invest in what's making money — not just “good engineering.” 4. Your growth might not be blocked by your skills — but by your manager’s reputation Promotions require a champion. If your manager isn’t respected, your case is weaker. 5. If you never ask, it may never come Many promotions don’t happen by merit — they happen because someone pushed. Some orgs are better than others — but these forces operate at some level 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. Don’t just rely on doing “good work.” Understand the game that’s being played — and play it to win. --- 👉🏻Follow me for software engineering career insights 🪄If you’re tired of wondering why everyone is being promoted except for you — let's have a conversation. I help engineers uncover their own unique path to the next level.

Software Engineers: "I shipped those 5 important projects this year, my promotion is guaranteed!" Also Software Engineers after annual reviews: "Damn it, what more do they want from me?!" One of the most painful moments in your career is being passed over for a promotion you thought was in the bag. Most promotions don’t just “happen.” They need a strategy. If you’re serious about leveling up, avoid these 3 mistakes that almost guarantee your promotion chances will be 0%. 1. Thinking Hard Work Is Enough Mistake: You assume that shipping projects, hitting deadlines, and getting solid reviews is enough to get promoted. Reality: Doing great work is expected at your current level. Promotion is about impact beyond your role. Example: You might’ve led a project, but did you mentor others or influence multiple teams? Did your work impact the company strategy? What to Do Instead: - Review your company’s leveling framework to understand the expectations for the next role. - Start demonstrating next-level behaviors—guide teams, set long-term technical direction, and show strategic thinking. 2. Focusing Only on the Next Level and Neglecting Your Current Job Mistake: You go all-in on trying to show higher-level work and let your current responsibilities slip. Reality: Promotions happen when you show you’re ready for the next level but are nailing your current role. Example: A senior engineer shifted focus to an org-wide strategy but stopped coding and handling operations. He thought he was doing what was needed until his reviews tanked because he wasn’t meeting current expectations. What to Do Instead: - Balance growth, don’t stop shipping code or leading meetings. - Gradually reduce current tasks while taking on next-level projects to avoid creating performance gaps. 3. Underestimating the Role of Your Manager Mistake: You think your work speaks for itself and your manager will naturally advocate for your promotion. Reality: Your manager is the gatekeeper. If they’re not aligned with your growth, your promotion might never happen. Example: I had a friend at Amazon whose manager missed the deadline to start his promotion process, twice. He wasted 6-12 months waiting when he could’ve moved to a better team earlier. What to Do Instead: - Communicate your promotion goals early with your manager and get feedback. - If your manager isn’t supportive, don’t wait. Look for a team with a better sponsor who’ll actively help you grow. Promotions are not rewards for hard work, they’re proof that you’re already operating at the next level. If you’re not getting promoted, it’s likely because: 1. You’re stuck at your current level’s mindset. 2. You’ve neglected your current responsibilities. 3. Your manager isn’t on your side. Fix these 3 mistakes and it goes a long way.