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🪜 Promotions & Raises

Promotions​

tip

Generally, companies will promote based on one of two paradigms. Understanding which applies to your company will help you effectively advocate for your own promotion.

  1. Based on potential:

    If your company promotes based on potential, this means you have to demonstrate how you are excelling at your current level and perhaps how you are already starting to meet some of the expectations of the next level up.

  2. Based on impact:

    If your company promotes based on impact, this means the expectation is that you will get a promotion once you are already performing at the next level up. To make the case for a promotion, you'll ideally have a list of the expectations for that position so you can compile a list of examples of how you are meeting those expectations.

When to Negotiate for a Promotion​

You should start asking about a promotion before you feel like you deserve one. If you are trying to work toward a promotion, let your manager know. One way to broach the topic is to say something like "I'd like to work toward getting a promotion at the end of this performance cycle. What do I need to do to make myself a strong candidate?"

It's a really good idea to start this conversation early because:

  1. Ideally nothing you hear from your manager in your performance review should come as a surprise. The opposite is true too - it's in your best interest for your manager to know going in that you're expecting a promotion.
  2. One factor that could affect whether you're granted a promotion and corresponding raise is your company's budget. Budget discussions generally happen much earlier in the annual cycle than performance reviews, so planting the idea in your manager's head early can help to ensure that your raise is incorporated into the upcoming budget.

How to Demonstrate That You Deserve a Promotion​

The way you'll go about preparing for a promotion will depend what process has been defined at your company. From most to least structured:

If your company has...Prepare for a promotion by...
✅ A formalized process for applying for a promotionFollowing the steps laid out in your company's process
❌ No formal process for applying for a promotion, but

✅ A clear outline of expectations for each level		(If your company promotes based on potential)
Compiling a list of examples of how you are excelling at your current level and how you are beginning to demonstrate competencies at the next level up.

(If your company promotes based on impact)
Compiling a list of examples of how you are meeting each expectation of the next level up.
❌ No formal process for applying for a promotion, and

❌ No clearly defined career ladder		Working with your manager to define a list of goals to reach in order to demonstrate that you are ready for a promotion.

Raises​

See Negotiating for general advice about negotiating.