Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation which produces computer software, consumer electronics, and personal computers. It developed the Windows line of operating systems, the Microsoft Office suite, and the Internet Explorer and Edge web browsers. Microsoft is often credited for ushering in the modern PC era.
Promotion Overview
| Who Nominates | Manager |
| Who Approves | Depends on level |
| Promotion Rate | Medium |
Promotion Stories
Get notified when Microsoft engineers share their stories about how they navigated up the career ladder.Promotion Guide
No extra documentation is needed for promotion
Promotions are lagging, which means you must perform at the next level consistently. Generally that means you should be above target for at least 2 Connect cycles. For senior and principal level promotions, you must be handling the responsibilities of the higer level for 1-2 years.
The higher your level, the more approvals you need for your promotion:
- Up to L62 (high Mid-Level Engineer): The direct manager approves
- L62 to L64 (up to Senior Engineer): The skip manager approves (L67, or Group Engineering Manager)
- L65+ (Principal Engineer+): Need to demonstrate cross-org impact, and the VP (or CVP) must approve
Unfortunately, it's harder to get promoted on a team with many talented people. There are limited spots available for promotion, and it's generally harder to get promoted on a team which has many high-performers.