Network Into A Promotion
yes, it's all about who you know
Who
To
Target
Middle Manager (outside your org structure)
Departments you want to work in
Using tools you want to work on
Meet Through:
Internal Mentorship Program
Similar Interests Group
Happy Hour
Find Out From Them:
Higher-level info about the roadmap
If their team is hiring
Tea (as ammunition)
Common Manager Pitfalls
Managers are Territorial (for a reason)
Could Think You're Trying To Date
Sometimes a longer-term yield
Engineering Managers are often just a senior developer with a fancy hat 🎩
Skip Level
your grand-boss
Has Limited "slots"
You must be an objective source of intel
Must understand skip-level's goals
Will not protect you from direct action from your manager (but may reassign you if things are Bad)
Focus on opportunity finding
Establish Similarities to break a blockade
Find out from them:
What teams have an opening
What teams are "about to have" an opening
Cool new projects being planned requiring you to learn a shiny new thing
How to get promoted
Common Skip-Level Pitfalls
Can read your intentions like a book, don't pretend
Is focused on execution (like ELT)
Is necessarily more detached than you realize (don't show weakness)
Is searching for Intelligence and Critical Thinking, won't usually be swayed by a Narrative
Don't assume they're stupid or won't understand something, just that they have prioritized something else for a reason
Don't assume you know what their job is unless you've held that job before
Executive Leadership Team (ELT)
Has
very limited slots
Does not care about the same things you do (imagine they're an alien)
Cannot obtain reliable intel on their own
This Relationship will Fast-Track you
This Relationship Will Paint A Target On Your Back
Find Out From Them
Which Managers Might Get Fired
Cool New Projects
Whether or not something is Actually Important
What your manager's OKRs are
What your department's OKRs are
Tell them about serious company problems
Common ELT Pitfalls
Again, is an alien intelligence
Don't assume you know what their job is unless you've held it before
You are as valuable as the information you have or can get for them or the work you do and no more
This is a business relationship, They'll see you as a Seedling unless you can prove otherwise and are selective about seedlings
They're very overwhelmed, they'll forget about your problem unless you make it a fire or a big obvious ROI
Do not come to them to resolve trivial issues or fights between you and another team member (makes you seem immature)
They highly value knowing how big of a problem something is going to be (but come with data)
Problems *are* promotion opportunities
Developer Evangelists
A helpful, highly networked friend to have
Usually fun tbh
Will help you get involved with conferences, etc
Wants to teach and present
Has limited time & social energy (don't flake on a 1:1 time)
Find Out From Them
How to be internally visible at your company
What Marketing Things the CEO Has Their Ego In
How to best spend your
vacation
I mean L&D budget
Who in the industry is hiring
Common Pitfalls
Not Really Your Friend (an ally)
Cannot Keep A Secret (will sell it)
Highly sought-after friend
If they come after you for friendship, they want something, usually free work not related to your OKRs