Another career promotion conversation question...

Post date: 2020-08-13 08:42:56

I have a "check-in" conversation with the head of our IT department tomorrow. I have been waiting for a promotion for a long time. I don't know if this is the right time to bring it up. Or how to bring it up. Can you advise and give me some good phrases to use?

I'm a software developer and it's time for me to move up from a level II to a level III. Most people get to III and stay there; some extraordinary few make it to IV. The vast, vast majority of us are III and IV. Like, aside from two other people who started within the last two years, I'm the only II I know of.

Why am I still a II? I would like to know the answer to that. I've never had any performance issues. I'm neither a rockstar, nor do I suck. I'm well-liked. I get work done. With minimal bugs. I'm 40 but I look very young (I still get ID'd regularly). I'm a woman.

I've been here 7 years, but only about 5.5 are counted because of a maternity leave and a disability leave. Two male colleagues (in their twenties) who started about 4 months before me, were promoted before my mat leave (May 2018). Another 20-something male colleague who started after me was promoted during my mat leave. I'd talk about women who have been promoted in that timeframe too; I just don't happen to know of any. I have now been back at work since January 2020.

It's tough to say it's sexism though; our workforce and managerial team are around 50% female.

I've asked at least three times (from 3 different managers) what I need to do to meet the requirements for level III. I have never had a proper answer.

What should I do about this? Do I keep quiet longer? I didn't want to bring it up right after I came back from mat, but I did anyhow. I got another non-answer. Then COVID happened. We had layoffs last month for the first time in the company's history. Things are not great economically. There's probably no approval for any promotions at this time anyhow. Or raises. Yadda yadda.

I feel incredibly ashamed that people can see my level II status on emails, etc. I should be a III by now. I think my salary is probably behind industry standards at this point, but this is a point of pride too. Maybe more so.

I'm too embarrassed now to bring it up with my other colleagues. Except for my best work friend, who thinks it's BS. Of course, she does; she's my friend.

Should I bring this up? If so, how?

Please click Here to read the full story.