Hi, I joined IBM last year as a new grad SWE. I interned in the same team for 2 semesters prior to joining as full timer. My team is not one of the dead team at ibm and does tons of great work. I never had a conversation with my manager about how promotion works from band 6 to band 7. I have this on my mind since January, so I have been very consistent in terms of working on projects that directly impacts business every sprint. I pick the max amount of work every sprint and deliver on time as well as well doing presentations stuff. I don’t know how exactly promotions works, but I honestly feel like I deserve to be a band 7 as I’m almost putting the same work as more senior members in the team and I seem to understand our domain of work pretty well. How can I bring this up to my manager? Any tips, suggestions? Thank you! TC: 109 YOE: 10 months #Ibm #tech #softwareengineersalary #bayarea
What business unit / department/ team?
Create things/tools for your team, take ownership of hard problems, express your opinions, post in internal blogs, and add to your checkpoints your b7’s desire. Get together with project managers. Implement new things. In every compliment you remind mgr about your b7 promotion. Pass in certifications. Act as a b7
Lol my manager has been telling me that ill be promoted to band 7 for nearly a year now. All depends on how much money ur dept has and if they want to throw it towards you
Number 1 thing is to just keep putting it in your managers head that you want to get to band7. Play the psychology card and make them feel like it’s their job to get you promoted.
Thank you, will deff bring it up more during 1:1s
This 👆 I feel like IBM managers have to continually be reminded that they are people managers and should try to grow the careers of their people. Basically if you don't bring it up, there is little chance your manager will because it's more work for them to try to get you promoted. I've seen people who were band 6 for 5 years because they never brought it up and worked a plan with their manager to get the promotion. They only got it because it looked weird that they were in the entry level band for so long.
You're a B6, with 10 months in the role? While the comments above are interesting and bordering on humorous, the response of take ownership is very much on point. There are two items that are taken into consideration for promotions within IBM; business need and individual performance. Just because you believe you think you deserve to be promoted does not mean that 1) your manager does or 2) there is a business need to do so and 3) you're manager believes you're performing at the band level to which you want to be promoted. Put yourself in the discussion, by that I mean if you want to be promoted you have to find something that you can take ownership of, become the SME to the extent that not only do the people in your immediate department know you as the "go to person" but your peers in department which report to your manager's peers. Your manager's peers should know your name and that you're the SME for whatever niche or technology that you choose. The what is a discussion you should have with both your manager as well as the senior technical leaders. Where is there a gap (or gaps) in your team's/org's knowledge or capability. Ultimately it is your career not your manager's. Ask for the band level descriptions and language around what is expected at each band. Build checkpoint goals for whatever SME work you choose to pursue based upon the band 7 language. Once they are complete or if on going talk with your manager for by in that you've met those goals. Then you have both buy-in from your manager that you're 1) a SME in an area of need and 2) the goals we're written for a B7 and you've performed.
Thank you soo much for describing it in such detail. I really appreciate it!! These are all amazing points I can start to work on. At the end of the day, it definitely needs to be clear to my manager that I’m performing in that level as well as other factors that determines whether I can be moved up. Really appreciate your input here!
I joined IBM as Band 6 in 2015. I was promoted in 2017. And every 2 years, have gotten promoted. I have been lucky to have managers who fight for me, but all the answers above are spot on. Make them aware you’re pursuing band 7. Do the job of the next band and be the polite squeaky wheel. Unfortunately some BUs have more money than others and more Chits (promotions) than others, but if you outshine people, there is a bigger chance of moving up.
Thank you!!
TC gain from B6-B7-B8 is quite good. But B7/B8 is also the band I saw people end up leaving. Eventually it is planning task and reviewing leadership and responsibilities with your manager. I would say be pro action to sync with manager about the performance. Bi-weekly/weekly, talk to peers that are upper band to understand.
No promo
Pretty much this 👆