Rich in Getting Promoted

CONTEXT

I worked at LinkedIn for less than 7 years, and was promoted 5 times. That’s 3x faster than my peers were promoted. (Business Insider published an entire feature on me today related to this stat!)

So I’m here to share all my secrets.

Everyone’s heard the saying: "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have."

But to me, that’s about far more than your clothes. It's about taking on the mindset, responsibilities, and executive presence of someone at the next seniority level (before you officially have that title).

Most people (logically) wait for a promotion to start operating at a more senior level. But that’s why they stay stuck.

Here's the harsh reality: Your manager can't promote you based on potential. They need proof that you can already handle the responsibilities.

That's how I figured out this simple two-question framework. It completely changed how I approached getting promoted.

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METHOD

Step 1: Ask the right questions

Set up a 1:1 with your manager for a "career conversation" and ask these two questions:

1. "What are the expectations of my current role?"
2. "How would those expectations change if I was one level more senior?"

Get clear on exactly what separates your current position from the one you want. Many big companies have manager guides (for performance reviews) with the expectations at each seniority level. For example:

• An Associate identifies problems. A Senior Associate identifies them AND proposes solutions.
• An Associate builds presentations. A Senior Associate builds AND delivers them to stakeholders.
• An Associate is an individual contributor. A Senior Associate ALSO mentors others.

If your company doesn’t have a document like this? No problem.

• Request specific examples from your manager of what success looks like in the role you're targeting. The more detailed they are, the better.
• Review formal job descriptions for both positions to identify key differences in responsibilities, required skills, and expected impact.
• Speak with coworkers who recently made the same jump you're hoping to make and ask what specifically changed in their day-to-day work.

The goal is to move beyond vague aspirations ("I want to act more senior") to concrete understanding ("Senior Associates are expected to mentor junior team members, contribute to strategic planning, and solve complex problems with minimal oversight").

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Step 2: Close the gap strategically

Once you understand the difference, start doing the work of the next level—even without the title.

• Look for stretch assignments that align with more senior expectations, even if they're not formally part of your current job description. Volunteer to present to stakeholders. Offer to mentor newer team members.
  • Remember that this isn't about doing more of the same work—it's about doing different work that demonstrates your readiness for greater responsibility.
• Build executive presence by studying those more senior to you.
  • Before you walk into a meeting, hone your body language. Phone away, stand tall, shoulders back, firm handshake, smile when you walk in, and you'll own the room. Prep a few strong questions to ask your stakeholders. It’s about arriving prepared and actively listening.
• Lead without authority, even as an individual contributor
  • Volunteer to run Employee Resource Groups. Facilitate team meetings or offer to take notes and distribute action items. Become the go-to person for specific knowledge areas or skills. These allow decision-makers to literally see you in a leadership capacity.

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Step 3: Make your impact visible

Never assume your manager has noticed everything you're doing. Give them visibility into your wins during weekly 1:1s. Btw, that list of wins will literally become the business case for your promotion.

Seriously, keep a running document of:

• Projects where you exceeded expectations
• Ways you took initiative beyond your current role
• Positive feedback from colleagues or clients

Try to quantify your impact with metrics that matter to your org.

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COMMON PITFALLS TO AVOID

1. Burning out: Before you start taking on extra work, make sure you REALLY want that promotion. The fastest path to burnout is working extra hard on something you don't actually care about. In other words, don't keep climbing the ladder simply because there are rungs in front of you. Look up and make sure that's where you want to go.
2. Neglecting the actual responsibilities of your role: Make sure you’ve mastered your core role before taking on stretch projects. If you let any balls drop when reaching for something bigger, you might ironically end up with a poor performance review (rather than a promotion).
3. Not checking back in: Schedule a career development meeting with your manager at least once a quarter (every 3 months) to check in on your performance and your path to promotion. Ask for their feedback regularly to keep your expectations aligned.

The people who get promoted aren't necessarily the smartest or hardest working—they're the ones who make it easiest for their managers to see them at the next level.

Start acting like you already have the job you want. Your promotion will follow.

Enjoyed this? Forward it to someone who deserves a promotion. ❤️ And read the other newsletters from The Quiet Rich here.

Until next week,

Jade

P.S. Thank you so much to everyone who’s saying the kindest things about this Business Insider article. Curious how that came together? It’s all thanks to growing my brand on LinkedIn.

As soon as you build a following, you attract opportunities (like this!) straight to your DMs without lifting a finger. It’s the most effective way to get PR interest from major publications, attract clients to your business, land paid speaking gigs, start coaching, find your dream job, launch a podcast, sell a major book deal, etc.

The next Archimedes program starts July 28th. (If you apply + check out before July 4th, you’ll get $500 off.) We’re fondly calling this our “bias for action” discount. The world rewards people who have a bias for action. And so do we. Apply here (it takes 3 minutes). I hope to meet you in a few weeks.

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