my company doesn't have a formal promo packet process. it's more of a "your manager makes a case" situation. but I've seen people on here and on LinkedIn talking about writing your own packet proactively to hand to your manager.
has anyone done this and had it actually land well? or does it come across as presumptuous? I'm at a 200-person startup, not big tech, so I don't know if this is a thing that translates.
my manager is supportive but she's also been here 8 months and I don't think she fully knows how to navigate the promo process here herself. thinking about doing the work for her in terms of compiling the case. just not sure how to frame it so it doesn't seem like I'm going around her.
5 replies
careerveteran
yes and it absolutely works, especially at smaller companies where no formal process exists. frame it as "I want to make your life easier" and send it as a draft: 'here's how I'd articulate my impact this year, let me know what I'm missing.' most managers are relieved. they don't know how to write these either.
consultant_cam
ok this framing makes it feel much less weird. "help me help you build this case" rather than "here is my application." I can do that.
director_dee
from the management side: I love when someone does this. it tells me they're serious and it gives me material to work with. a manager who's been around 8 months doesn't know your full history here. you do. write it down for them.
finance_faye
I did something similar in corp finance. wrote a one-pager summarizing my projects and quantified impact for the year and gave it to my manager before our mid-year review. she used it almost verbatim in the committee. got promoted that cycle after two years of waiting.
ops_omar
the key thing I'd add: include the stuff your manager didn't directly see. if you helped another team, ran a process improvement that wasn't your "official" project, mentored someone junior. managers only see a slice of what you do. you have to fill in the rest.