Promotions rarely happen because someone “finally realizes” you’re doing great work. More often, they happen when your impact is visible, aligned to business goals, and easy to advocate for. The good news: you can start building your promotion case long before a formal review cycle.
Before you sprint, make sure you’re running in the right direction.
Tip: If your company doesn’t have a rubric, create a simple one yourself with 5–7 bullet points and validate it with your manager.
When review time comes, memory is unreliable—documents win.
Your log can be a running list with:
Examples:
Being busy isn’t the same as being promotable. Target work that:
Rule of thumb: If the work still matters 3 months from now, it’s probably promotion-relevant.
Visibility isn’t bragging; it’s context.
Try this script:
“I’d like to work toward the next level in the next 4–6 months. Can we agree on 2–3 outcomes that would make you confident recommending me?”
Then schedule a midpoint check-in to assess progress against those outcomes.
If a senior leader asked your manager, “Why should we promote them?”—could they answer in two sentences with metrics?
What’s one project or behavior you’re working on right now to make your next-level impact undeniable?
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