Develop a path for promotion

Did you ask “what behaviors or artifacts would dispel concerns about maturity? What are some specific things I can do to grow in the dimension as quickly as possible?”. The quickly part is because “keep doing what you’re doing” is an easy thing to say when it comes to “experience” or “maturity”. If you didn’t ask, I don’t think holding on to bitterness that they didn’t lay out a plan makes sense. I might be a bit of a jerk and say that putting it on your manager to identify exactly what you should do without you engaging and digging in is a bit of a confirmation on the maturity concern.

August is now, basically. If your manager isn’t supportive, you have no document or collateral, you have no supportive feedback from next-level engineers, etc. you don’t have any case for promotion. February is aggressive if there are actual gaps to fill, not just documentation gaps. To show you’re working consistently at the next level for an extended period of time will be tough in 7 months, and you don’t even know what change you’d have to make yet. Not saying February is impossible, but it’s going to be an uphill battle.

You should make a very detailed and high fidelity plan to fill gaps and demonstrate sustained next-level behavior by this time next year, for August promotion. Then adjust it to a lower-confidence, more ambitious stretch goal of February. Be working like it’s February, but be sure August ‘25 is completely achievable.

If the requirements are very low, like developing features independently, and you have 3-4 opportunities to do that in the next few months, maybe February is doable. But it sounds like it is not just delivery/hard skills in question. If the maturity gap is about behavior and leadership, changing gears, owning larger things, helping others, taking better responsibility for problems, etc. is a lot to manage and have people trust its permanent in a few months.

To know any of this though, you need to have a real conversation. Thank your manager for feedback on maturity, and ask if you can zoom in on some examples where this presented itself, and what behaviors would show progress on this. Ask if that happens, would this be sufficient for them to support your promotion, and if not, what are the other gaps? For each, acknowledge and accept the gap (even if you have counterexamples, save them for a later write up), and ask again what artifacts will alleviate a concern or show a requirement is fulfilled.

Turn this into a list, and match up coming work to these. If your work doesn’t align, you have to see what pivots are possible without dropping much of your current slate. Know your list is aspirational and the last check mark doesn’t mean you get promoted. It is at least something actionable. Share a document with your manager where you’re gathering collateral, linking other docs, etc.

If a document or portfolio is needed, create a draft. Outline or skeleton. Start filling things in, or ask your manager to help. Build this up over time. Evolve it until you’re promotable. Meet with your manager regularly and seek feedback versus the plan.

You are seeking promotion, they are not giving you a promotion. Show maturity through responsibility, humility, and self-initiated action.