If you’re a product manager at a mid-to-large company, then there is probably a well-defined path for career progression. But when it comes down to it, promotions often feel like a crapshoot. For better or for worse I’ve gotten good at playing this game. I attribute this to my history of being an unabashed overachiever who seeks external validation, whether it was straight A’s in school or promotions now, as the case may be.
Levity aside, I wanted to share what has worked for me thus far. Sometimes you may get caught up in circumstances beyond your control that delay promotions (manager leaving, reorgs, bad economy, etc.). In these situations it’s worth assessing how long you’re willing to wait in limbo and whether or not it’s worth your while to stay in the same team/company.
With that out of the way, here is some practical advice to improve your odds of getting promoted.
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Don’t be a try-hard and don’t make being promoted your entire personality or raison d’être. It makes you look disingenuous and the people you work with can smell it from a mile away. The goal should be to do good work to make your product successful and show impact. If your company isn’t dysfunctional, getting promoted will be a natural consequence of that.
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Tell your manager point-blank that you want to be promoted. Have this conversation at least 6-8 months before you’d like this to happen. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in the role or when your last promotion was because it never hurts to ask. And even if your manager seems wishy-washy about it 1) you have germinated the idea in their mind and 2) you have useful feedback to inform how you should be operating and what changes you might need to make.
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Talk about your work and share it without being a blowhard. This might be easier said than done, but you have to be the loudest advocate for yourself. When promotion decisions are made, your manager and your manager’s manager (and in some cases your manager’s manager’s manager) need to know you exist. Send out a regular newsletter with customer updates and learnings, set up strategy reviews to get feedback on product direction, volunteer to present at all-hands meetings, share market trends you’ve observed with your team… these communications aren’t just status updates that no one cares about! They add value and make you look like you know your shit, which in turn makes your manager look good and increases your likelihood of getting promoted.
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A rising tide lifts all boats, so try to pick projects destined for success. A trick I’ve found useful to identify these projects early on is to see where senior engineers are spending their time, and what they’re excited about.
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I struggle with this a lot myself but the more senior you get, try to focus more on quality over quantity. Don’t take on too much because you want to prove that you are a hard worker. One project that leadership cares about means a lot more than ten smaller initiatives that no one is particularly invested in. Craft and finesse matter more as you climb the ladder so go deep into product areas and truly become an expert.
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Build relationships without an ulterior motive. It takes a village to get promoted and you want everyone you work with to respect your abilities. Not everyone has to like you, but they do have to think you are competent. So do your homework to build rapport with people 1:1, make yourself invaluable by bringing unique insights to the table, present yourself well in meetings, and prepare thoroughly ahead of having technical discussions.
Like many things in life, promotions reinforce that working smart > working hard and while that’s not always great to hear, you might as well use it to your advantage.