how soon is too soon to ask for a promotion?

Question

I'm a software engineer. I recently started a new position with a new company and have been with the company about 5 months.

In this short time I have shown myself to be a technical expert, as I came in with extensive experience in various technologies they use, and I have become a subject matter expert as I have shipped multiple completely new services that I developed in their entirety.

I feel I am outperforming my role and I would like to be promoted to a more appropriate level (and pay grade), but I fear that my short tenure would lead them to immediately shut down the conversation.

How soon is too soon to ask for a promotion? Would it be inappropriate this early?

Answer 1

Ask your manager or team lead what would be required for a promotion.

It’s been said that in IT, if you’re not growing, you’re dying. That applies to individuals as well as companies, and it’s certainly reasonable for a new hire to want to know what would be required for a promotion. It’s entirely possible that even if your “hard” technical skills are at the level required for the next level up, your “soft” interpersonal skills might not be.

Note that you’re not asking to be promoted, but simply asking what would be required for promotion, so that you can start working towards meeting those requirements.

Also, keep in mind the current economic crisis; it’s entirely possible that your company has instituted a wage freeze, or might be considering layoffs in the near future.

Answer 2

How far off are you from the salary you think you deserve? Are you genuinely going to be cool if your boss says no? What are the opportunities for new employment in your area? What is the going rate for a software engineer in your area with similar credentials?

All of these factor in to your decision. Do not approach them if you are not willing to make a change. Also be aware that these kind of talks can lead to them "moving in a different direction" or "looking for the best fit". If any of this is a concern to you, wait until 12 months and then request a salary review. This is fairly normal and shouldn't raise any alarms.

Answer 3

Like others have suggested, you should take a step back and try to objectively judge your own performance. It's common for less experienced people to not know what they don't know and therefore overestimate their abilities.

In terms of asking for a promotion, there isn't such a thing as too early. People don't always get things 100% correct in the hiring process so it is absolutely possible to incorrectly level people. I would recommend you lead with a conversation about progression i.e. how to hone your craft so it has greater business impact. It's an easier conversation to have and a good way to shift into pay / promotion / titles etc. Now how quickly an organisation will be happy to correct this will depend on the place. Smaller startups may be happy to correct this immediately while other places will need you to wait for the next review.

Some tips for trying to better measure your own performance / level:

• Speak to your manager / mentor and ask directly
• Notice when you ask your manager for help / approval - this marks the boundary of your abilities / responsibilities. To progress, you'll want to get your manager to gradually pass bits of those to you.

As others have alluded to, you might be over emphasising tech skills. Hopefully by observing your interactions with your manager, you can figure out what you need to do to progress.