Entry-level jobs can be a critical juncture in your career, shaping how quickly you rise and what opportunities unfold for the rest of your life.
In fact, if you want a good career, you’ve got to get promoted, FAST.
Early Promotions Lead To More Promotions
Why? Because studies of promotion policies reveal that employees who advance early in their careers are more likely to continue accelerating through the ranks.
For example, in one interesting study of a major Japanese tech company, researchers found that employees promoted sooner tend to stay on a faster track throughout their careers. (If you know anything about the Japanese corporate culture, the profound importance of this should be obvious.)
What’s interesting is: This rapid advancement wasn’t due to inherent abilities; even when individual talent and other fixed factors were controlled for, they observed the same fast track growth effect… It was simply that early movers continued to outperform their peers. (Authors speculate that human capital, company visibility, and strategic career moves results in this uncanny advantage – we would also add the well known Matthew Effect: “For to every one who has will more be given.”)
Whatever the case may be… That’s beside the point. The point is:
You’ve Got to Get Promoted, FAST!
While it’s easy not to take your entry-level job seriously, or think of it just as an initial stepping stone – the reality is that these roles have a disproportionate impact on your entire career trajectory…
Your first few jobs, for an early career professional, are extremely important!
Therefore, if you want to jump ahead of the competition and secure a career trajectory that maximizes both your earnings and long-term impact, you can’t leave it all to chance or the good graces (lol) of your employer.
You need a strategy.
Of course, it would be preposterous to claim that we can give you a personalized, effective strategy in an article over a public clearnet website. So… We won’t pretend to do that. (We only do that in person at our events.)
What can be done, however, is the sharing of a lucid perspective – along with a set of key facts and principles – that you can use to shape an effective strategy. Armed with these principles, you can get promoted significantly faster and with greater ease.
And that’s exactly what we’ll do in this article.
Let’s start with some perspective…
The Harsh Reality of Promotions Today
Before the pandemic, the landscape for promotions looked and felt a lot better.
In fact, it was reported that most first-time workers received a promotion within three years (source). Back then, career advisors and recruiters were even pushing the idea of job-hopping if you weren’t climbing the ladder fast enough. For instance, ZipRecruiter CEO Ian Siegel suggested that if you didn’t see upward movement after three years, “there’s a problem.” (But remember, that’s advice from a recruitment company that profits from turnover – so take it with a grain of salt.)
Regardless of all the agendas floating around, however, prior to the pandemic, promotions were considered more accessible. Unfortunately, recent data paints a different picture now: Promotions are drying up. And according to the ADP Research Institute, the rate of promotion into management (i.e. real promotions) dropped for nearly all working adults in the past year.
While it’s good to be aware of such trends, as they shape the competitive landscape, point to the fact that it’s getting harder to play the corporate game, and it’s tougher to get promoted now than it used to be just a few years ago; it’s important to keep a broader perspective. This is because…
In Truth, Promotions Were Always Tough To Get
When you scratch beneath the surface, you learn that promotions have always been tougher to get than most people claim. In fact, studies show that entry-level workers tend to overestimate their chances of moving up the ladder.
And if you actually look at the data, it tells a much needed sobering story: promotions to supervisory roles typically take 3.6 years, while climbing to a managerial position takes over 10 years (source). That’s a hell of a long time!
But it all makes sense…
When you realize that the corporate world controls workers through their titles, you also realize the scarcity of real promotions, as well as the value of such promotions generated precisely because of that scarcity.
Remember:
Titles Are The New Aristocracy
And a real promotion – one that gets you a new title and a significant salary increase – one earned at a reputable company, not a self-appointed CEO title from a side gig – can be more valuable than both a college degree and an MBA combined.
Such a promotion not only carries weight, but it opens doors, and signals real-world credibility that formal education often cannot match.
Companies know this. They know that your most valuable career asset is no longer your education or skills, but your status – which is represented by your title and pay grade.
So… Companies do everything in their power to control titles, promotions and real material progress of their workers.
How they do this, of course, varies according to the economic conditions of the day…
During prosperous times, companies are more likely to create the illusion of progress – handing out meaningless titles and introducing superficial promotion ladders. And during tough times, they tighten the belt and get away with paying sub-inflation wages.
Regardless of the economic conditions, however, and even in those favorable periods, genuine promotions – where you receive a substantial raise of at least 30% and a real title upgrade that elevates you up the human pyramid, have always been rare.
Promotions: Valuable & Rare
Let’s boil it down to first principles…
It’s Less About You, More About the Market
Promotions are fundamentally driven by market conditions, not individual performance. When a company is in high growth mode, they are more likely to hand out titles freely, simply as a side effect of their growth mechanics. In such environments, people who are underqualified or even unqualified can get promoted, simply because the company needs bodies to fill roles.
But when times are tough – during hiring freezes, layoffs, or company stagnation – it doesn’t matter how exceptional your performance is. You could cure cancer and develop AGI in one afternoon, but all you’ll get is a “job well done” card from the CEO.
The harsh truth is that promotions are rarely – if ever – about rewarding your hard work. They happen because of company necessity, not your personal merit. And that company necessity, across the market tends to be “rare”.
Think about it: Hierarchies are pyramids. Pyramids are narrow at the top. That geometry dictates promotions.
Why Do Companies Promote People? The REAL Story
In theory, promotions are supposed to be based on merit, performance, and commitment.
In fact, many organizations love to cite length of service, performance metrics, experience, and a willingness to take on additional responsibilities as the reasons behind who gets promoted.
But the real story is far more complex and, frankly, has a lot more to do with power than anything else.
Let’s break it down:
The Justifications Companies Give:
Length of Service
Justification: A long-serving employee will have in-depth knowledge of your company’s brand, mission, and values.
Reality: Staying with the company for years might seem like a logical reason to promote someone, but it’s more often just an excuse. Longevity doesn’t guarantee competence; it’s just easy for HR to explain.
Performance
Justification: An employee who consistently exceeds targets and achieves goals may be ready for the next step.
Reality: In many cases, high performers remain in their current roles longer than expected because they’re too valuable where they are. Promoting them means replacing them, which could be more costly than leaving them underutilized.
Experience
Justification: When an employee has completed relevant training, worked on a variety of projects, or acquired new skills, they demonstrate their commitment to growth.
Reality: In many cases, “experience” is less about skill mastery and more about endurance. Often, it’s a signal that you’ve jumped through enough organizational hoops and stuck around long enough that it’s more inconvenient for the company to replace you than to promote you. Furthermore, and perhaps more importantly, experience doesn’t equal value.
Additional Responsibilities
Justification: An employee who has already exceeded the expectations of their job description should be considered for promotion.
Reality: This is a trap. If you’re doing the work of two people without a promotion or pay raise, congratulations – you’ve just demonstrated that you’ll work more for the same salary. While taking on more responsibilities and becoming indispensable can be a viable path to building leverage for future negotiations, just doing more and hoping for the good graces of your employer is a bad attitude. In fact, some companies dangle promotions like carrots, hoping you’ll do more while they extract value without actually committing to moving you up.
The REAL Reasons Behind Promotions:
Now that we’ve covered the typical corporate propaganda… Let’s take a look at why people actually get promoted:
Internal Politics and Favoritism:
Promotions often go to those who’ve mastered the game: aligning themselves with the right people, massaging egos, and strategically positioning themselves in the company’s power structure.
Make no mistake: It’s rarely the best candidate who gets the promotion; it’s the person who’s built the right relationships with the decision-makers.
Perception Over Reality:
It’s not how well you actually perform, it’s how well you’re perceived to perform.
If you’re good at managing your image, talking up your accomplishments, and showing up where it counts (think high-visibility meetings or critical projects), you can easily bypass others who might be doing better work but aren’t as savvy about self-promotion.
The Path of Least Resistance:
Promoting someone often comes down to whoever is least disruptive to the current order. If you’re someone who won’t shake up the status quo, who has kept your head down, or who isn’t likely to stir office politics too much, you’re often a safer bet than a high-performing risk-taker. (Note: all other factors being equal, and assuming you don’t have leverage. Leverage allows you to break these norms.)
Companies prioritize maintaining internal balance – since decision makers want to preserve stability and protect their own skin.
Turnover Threats:
Here’s a dirty secret: companies often promote people simply because they’re worried a critical employee will leave.
When you become too expensive to replace or have amassed enough leverage (such as an external offer, strategic timing or monopoly over the means of production), organizations often panic-promote to keep you around.
Optics and Quotas:
Sometimes, promotions are driven by optics. In a world where diversity and inclusion are mandatory, and in some cases, demanded by investors, promotions may be given to tick boxes for public perception or even legal reasons. While diversity in leadership is indeed important, companies often use this for PR value rather than real change, promoting based on optics rather than substance.
Nepotism and Cronyism:
From executives promoting family members to managers pushing forward friends, nepotism and cronyism are alive and well. In many organizations, the hierarchy is pre-determined by who you know, not what you do. Remember: nepotism is the human norm, not the outlier! (You can read about the massive impact of nepotism from Harvard Magazine after you finish this article, it’s eye opening.)
“Cover Your **s”
Promoting someone often has a defensive component for management. It’s less about rewarding talent and more about selecting individuals who look good on paper, so if things go south, no one can question the decision.
When leaders choose someone who ticks all the right boxes – impressive credentials, solid experience, the right connections – it allows them to say, “They seemed like the perfect candidate; it’s not my fault things went wrong.” The promotion is less about capability and more about mitigating risk for management.
If you fit the profile that covers their bases, you’re far more likely to move up, regardless of whether you’re the best person for the job.
The Chain Reaction:
Promotions are often a domino effect caused by turnover or restructuring. When a senior person leaves, the company needs someone to fill their spot quickly, and that creates upward movement.
This type of promotion isn’t about recognizing your capabilities; it’s about keeping the machinery running. If you’re next in line, you might get bumped up simply because the company needs to fill gaps without going through the hassle of hiring externally. (Pro Tip: the chain reaction is the promotion path that is easiest to exploit, for those who are curious.)
“They Won’t Say No” Promotions:
Sometimes, companies promote people up meaningless ladders (i.e. more responsibility, little pay raise, no further authority) because they know employee will accept the job without pushback.
If you’ve proven to be compliant, not overly demanding in salary negotiations, and willing to take on more responsibility without making waves, you become an easy candidate for these show promotions. Companies know you’ll take the offer without requiring a big pay raise or extra benefits, making you the path of least resistance for upward mobility.
(By the way, this last type of promotion can be a humongous benefit to you: you may not get a pay raise, but you get a title raise; which you can leverage by job hopping. Remember, the change of title is infinitely more important than the change of pay, since your title is public information, whereas your pay is private information. Your next employer will only evaluate you on your title, and not pay – assuming you know what you’re doing and have learned how to negotiate.)
OK… Now that you understand how the corporate world really works, let’s get down to business, and give you a strategy to get you promoted!
Understand Your True Value
Most organizations undervalue entry-level workers.
Whether intentionally or out of ignorance, or out of ego. But that doesn’t mean you have to play by their rules.
To develop sufficient leverage and gain control, you need to figure out exactly what unique, in demand strengths you bring to the table and how to leverage those in the marketplace to the mutual benefit of you and your employer.
One crucial step is mastering The Language of Value. This framework helps you articulate your skills in a way that aligns directly with what your employer wants, especially in areas where you lack relevant experience.
It’s about shifting your narrative from “I’m doing” to “I’m delivering.”
Speak in terms of results and outcomes, not tasks or effort. Speak to their needs, not your responsibilities or tasks. And target what they are lacking rather than what you are producing.
It may sound too simplistic, but often the most profound truths are simple…
When you understand your value from their perspective, you gain leverage as well as the ability to increase your value, with mere words.
Master the Five Core Skills & Seven High-Value Disciplines
While you’re in an entry-level position, don’t waste time only learning what’s required of you. Expand your capacity by mastering the Five Core Skills and Seven High-Value Disciplines. These skills are foundational, in high demand, and transferable across industries.
They are essential if you want to outpace your peers.
Apply the Skills Early
The 5 Core Skills are especially important…
The sooner you start applying these skills to your current job, the faster you’ll be seen as indispensable.
Too many entry-level workers focus on simply getting tasks done rather than thinking about how they can create more value and become in greater demand. The moment you start applying the five core skills, you stop being just an employee and start becoming a resource.
Build Your Network with a Purpose
Networking isn’t about collecting contacts. It’s about establishing relationships with people who can help you advance and provide you with insight others don’t have.
At this stage, you need to focus on those who are several steps ahead of you in their careers, not just your peers.
Attend events, professional meetups, and social gatherings of those in your industry to position yourself as someone who’s serious about their career, not just their current job. Be strategic about who you align with – focus on those in fast-growing departments or industries, high performers, and decision-makers.
Also… Don’t mistake popularity for influence; what matters is who can advocate for you when opportunities appear.
Seek Out Mentorship and Reverse Mentorship
Mentorship can be the fastest way to unlock critical knowledge, avoid mistakes, and understand organizational dynamics. You need someone who’s been through the trenches, knows the tricks, and can help you navigate your path efficiently.
However, don’t overlook reverse mentorship either. You can offer benefits to more senior professionals on topics you’re strong in, such as emerging technologies or trends. It positions you as someone knowledgeable and opens doors for future collaborations. (Pro tip: if you help others with their own career agenda, they become a lot more willing to lend a hand and spend some time with you.)
Develop a Long-Term Vision (But Stay Agile)
The biggest mistake most people make in entry-level jobs is getting stuck in the weeds. Don’t lose sight of the bigger picture…
What do you want from your career? How much do you want to earn? What roles will position you to achieve that? How will it feel when you’ve “made it”?
Your career path will likely be a winding road with ups and downs, and various sideway movements, where at times you won’t have any idea where you’re going… This is all fine.
What matters is having a destination in mind, rather than a specific plan. Opportunities will dictate your path, but YOU need to dictate your direction.
Be brutally honest with yourself about what you want. No excuses. No half-measures. No realism.
Only when you are honest with yourself can you engage your career with your whole being and achieve genuinely meaningful growth.
Own Your Learning Curve
Relying on your employer for growth opportunities is a terrible trap. You must take ownership of your development by pursuing continuous learning – especially in areas that your company isn’t paying attention to.
Take advantage of external courses that give you credentials and contacts. Develop hard skills, soft-skills as well as career skills (skills that help you play the corporate game) to build your value. Learn. Never stop learning.
Generate Results, Not Work
The average entry-level employee focuses on completing tasks. The top 1% focus on generating results.
Your performance reviews and internal reputation shouldn’t hinge on how hard you work, but rather how much value you create. Are you saving the company money? Are you streamlining processes that increase efficiency? Are you generating new revenue streams?
Track your own metrics and use data to demonstrate your impact. This will be critical when you negotiate promotions, and perhaps more importantly, when you apply for new and better opportunities.
If you’re not tracking your success, you’re relying on someone else to track it for you – in an environment where they have a vested interest in finding ways to pay you less!
Make no mistake: the purpose of a corporation is to maximize shareholder value. A key component of that is cost reduction (i.e. paying you as little as they can get away with.)
No one in your company will advocate for you. Your boss is not like your professors – their job isn’t to teach you or see you grow; their job is to generate profits and focus on their own career.
3 Strategic Positioning Keys for Promotions
Finally, we need to talk about where the rubber hits the road…
To fast-track your career growth, you need to outmaneuver the internal corporate politics that often hinder advancement. Promotions aren’t given to the hardest worker – they’re given to those who are seen as essential and whose promotions are seen as unavoidable.
And of course, being seen as essential is not always about just being essential. It is more about the psychology of perception…
Here are the three most important keys for positioning yourself for promotions so that you are seen as essential and your promotion as inevitable:
- Know your company’s pain points: Identify the biggest challenges or areas of opportunity. Then, position yourself as a solution/resource who directly addresses these pain points. Be the solution provider to the problems they desperately need solutions for. (Hint: this is rarely what you have been hired to do, and often work associated with a high-growth, high-investment, high-risk areas with a lot of executive attention.)
- Stay visible: Don’t confuse being busy with being noticed. Make sure you’re vocal about your contributions. But do so in a non-bragging way (everyone hates braggers). Think of it more like being social, and less like being a door-to-door salesman. You are so excited about the work you’re doing, you just keep telling everyone about it – adopt that attitude and you’ll quickly find yourself welcomed to “self-promote”.
- Timing is key: Understand your company’s promotion cycle as well as market conditions. If you know when evaluations happen, you can prepare to plant seeds and showcase your wins beforehand. You want to be top of mind when people making the promotion decisions are thinking about the “who”.
Conclusion
Fast-tracking your career growth in an entry-level job requires more than just hard work.
In fact, it seems to demand everything but hard work!
And above all else, it demands a sober understanding of how promotions actually work.
While companies justify promotions with reasons like performance, experience, or loyalty, the reality is often shaped by market conditions, internal politics, and management’s self-interest.
To climb the ladder, you need to navigate these dynamics, use every resource at your disposal, and not just prove your ability to perform, but also your value in the broader corporate world.
The bottom line is: you get promoted, when promoting you is more profitable than keeping you in your place.
If you understand how to play the game and position yourself as indispensable to the company’s needs, you’ll rise faster than those who simply wait for their turn.
Don’t wait for your turn…