How to get promoted
Career progress is the language of success in Corporate America. But promotions can be difficult to get, and on top of that, at some companies, the process can be difficult to understand - which I sometimes suspect is intentional.
I spent most of my adult life moving up the corporate ladder, while also helping my team members do the same. It’s taken quite some time (and a few tears) but I’ve figured out pretty much everything you need to know on this subject. I’m about to drop all of that info right here.
First, elephant in the room: If you have a manager who isn’t invested in seeing you grow, it’s going to be difficult. A good manager will help you know which skills to polish up, or which people to get in front of, or even which projects you need to be on. They can mention your name at the right meeting with the right people.
Or not.
I’ve worked at family businesses, startups, established design agencies and at financial services firms. They all handle promotions differently. Let me walk you through everything I know:
1. Family businesses and startups
These have the most flexibility and the least structure to their promotion processes. You can jump levels and invent titles, or even start new departments almost overnight. When I worked for my brother-in-law more than 20 years ago at the family business, I was the e-Marketing Manager one day, and the Webmaster the next. I know, the titles are very Y2K, aren’t they?? But the point is - the smaller the company, the less bureaucracy and more flexibility you have.
2. Established design agencies
These are somewhere in the middle. Inventing new titles may be less common than at a startup, and you’re likely on an annual cycle for reviews, raises and promotions. But these companies can move fast and break some rules if they’re afraid of losing top employees.
3. Digital-first companies like Meta and Amazon
These companies are often filled with former design agency employees, so their approach is similar as far as reviews and promotions. Meta does promotions bi-annually ,with the major review and promotion cycle following the holidays and then in a smaller cycle that starts in July. Amazon has quarterly review cycles for full-time employees up to level six, with bi-annual reviews for the levels above.
4. Financial services firms
I served on the promotion committee for 5 years in a row at the company where I worked. And I can say with total confidence that they are VERY strict. The promotions happen yearly only and there are quotas. If there were any exceptions, they were far above my pay grade.
5. Other industries
I’ve heard big pharma is similar to finance, while retail fashion is more like the agency world. But, these differences in schedules and level of flexibility aside, most of what I’m going to share here will apply as far as what helps employees get noticed and get promoted.
Now, here are three facts about promotions that we probably all wish were not true:
First, they are as much about politics as they are about actual skill
Second, you usually have to already be doing the job you’re trying to be promoted to
Third, scarcity is a feature, not a bug
The thing about politics is that they pretty much suck. But their existence doesn’t depend on your opinion of them. And you probably need to play them to get ahead.
However, you may decide it’s not worth it. And that’s ok. Some people just want to put in the hours at a job, and have a rich and rewarding personal life outside of it. That is totally valid.
For those who want to try to play, though, it doesn’t help to not “believe” in politics at work. They’re there whether you want them to be there or not. And choosing to be ignorant of them won’t help you get ahead.
The second fact is that you already have to be doing the job you want to be recognized for. This is just the way it works these days in Corporate America, whether it’s fair or not. Sensing a theme here?
The third fact - that scarcity is built-in - is, you guessed it, also not fair, but unfortunately true. In any given year, you’re less likely to be promoted than not. It’s the carrot of work, dangled in front of you, to encourage you to do more, every year. To get better, every year.
So here’s where I tell you another sad but true fact. Sometimes the best way to get promoted - AND get the salary you deserve - is to quit. And I don’t mean telling your employer you have an offer and staying, but actually quitting. It’s so messed up when you think about it. Why does it take a new employer to see what you’re worth, give you the title you earned, and the pay you deserve?
For a more detailed look at these strategies, check out my Management Detox podcast, Episode 6 - Demystifying How Corporations Promote Employees and What to do When they Don’t:
