Ryan Peterman, who worked at Instagram for six years as a Software Engineer and now teaches AI at Meta, believes that visibility is a key factor for advancement at work.
Ryan Peterman, who worked at Instagram for six years as a Software Engineer and now teaches AI at Meta, believes that visibility is a key factor for advancement at work.
«If you build an amazing feature that no one knows about, no matter how good it is, you won’t get any recognition. So how do you stand up for yourself after you’ve done a great job, which is the hardest part?», — Peterman said during a speech at the University of California, Los Angeles, according to Business Insider.
To climb the career ladder, Peterman says, you need to make your achievements as public as possible. It can be as simple as writing a post on social media or mentioning your success in a meeting, he added.
«I think a lot of people miss that, especially if they’re more introverted or more quiet, to take that final step after a good job», — Peterman said.
He believes that it’s not enough to simply be overworked in your current role. He cites the example of a junior engineer who «does 10 times more work» than the rest of his colleagues. While he’s likely to get a positive performance review, he hasn’t proven that he’s ready to take on senior-level responsibility—only that he’s extremely competent at handling his current workload.
According to Ryan Peterman, you need to have a good understanding of the «behavior» that engineers in the desired position demonstrate, and also look for projects that allow you to demonstrate that behavior. He added that if you can’t do this, you can consult with your manager.
«I really, really wanted to get promoted, so I was constantly talking to my manager. As soon as I got promoted one level, I thought, ‘Okay, what’s the next level? What can I do?’ It may have annoyed my manager, but he really helped me by teaching me what I needed to improve on», — Peterman said.
He emphasized that it was in a candidate’s best interest to be as visible as possible. During his time at Meta, Peterman hired five interns—the ones who stood out were simply more willing to be bold.
«When I think about those who were rock stars, they had the courage to suggest improvements. Even though I’m obviously senior, they had the courage to ask questions, to suggest improvements. Sometimes they were wrong, but I saw the logic and many times they were right», — Ryan Peterman said.
Microsoft has previously updated its employee performance policy. Among the changes is a two-year ban on rehiring unproductive professionals.
