Does anyone who has been promoted to the Staff level in Engineering have any tips on how to get that promotion?
49 replies (most recent on top)
@gd So is it your recommendation to stop going above and beyond trying to earn that promotion? Just enjoy the easy/fun job and settle for the current pay range?
@gc Who is complaining? Please quote what I said that was a complaint. I'll wait.
Who said anything about a "demanding" manager? I said "micro-manage". Do you know what means? You must not, hence the confusion.
It being my fault was a fair guess, but it's way off. This is their personality. It is how they interact with all of their employees. And I spent years working under multiple hands-off managers and flourished, before changing managers after a re-org.
Man, you really batted 1.000 on this one. I appreciate your awful advice, though.
@dh
Leadership does not like staff level for engineers and program management. Feel it's not a role that commands that type of salary. If you want a high paying technical role then go to a company that values technical abilities. Current thought in leadership is that our product is so simple that vendors or ai can develop it. No need for in house talent. Only levels that pay anything close to a living wage for a family are managers and up.
@dj
Learn how to manage up. Complaining here will do nothing. Clearly you a already are promoted beyond your abilities given the lack of experience on how to handle a demanding manager. Maybe they are micro managing you because they don't have confidence in your abilities?
What about when you have a manager who micro-manages too much?
Does the company even want staff level engineers? It seems like they want junior and lead-level engineers doing staff-level work, and when you finally get paid staff salary, they just lay you off. Maybe the work doesn't justify the talent or the salary of a principle or staff-level engineer?
we have an engineering department???
I've seen designers languish for nearly a decade without a promotion, but I always suspected it had more to do with them wanting/expecting a promotion rather than actively advocating for one.
I think your best shot is to just work hard, do good work while, at the same time, be the squeaky wheel. That seems to be the best way to speed up the process.
unfortunately if you're not in marketing or senior management, your chances of promotions are not as frequent. for engineering (and other folks), the term i hear being used is, "they keep moving the goal post". you maybe already doing the work of a staff level, but they'll ask you to work on this or that. they'll keep dangling that promotion carrot in front of you forever. in the end, your manager has to fight for you to get that promotion, and you need to fight with your manager to get them to fight. good luck
recently a lead level person was doing work of a staff, and asked for a staff promotion. they didn't want to grant this person a promotion. the person eventually left the group, so the team hired two lead people to take the one vacant spot. they rather hire two at $100K than promote one at $150K (rough estimates of salary)