When to Ask for a Promotion (The Timing Nobody Talks About)

Timing accounts for roughly 40% of promotion outcomes at large tech companies. Not your skills. Not your years of experience. Not even the quality of your work. The calendar.

That sounds absurd until you understand how promo cycles actually work. There are fixed windows when companies evaluate candidates. Miss the window and you wait 6-12 months regardless of how ready you are. Hit the window unprepared and you burn your best chance on a weak submission.

Here's the calendar that changes everything - and the exact timeline for building a case that gets approved on the first try.

The Promo Cycle Calendar: When Major Companies Run Their Cycles

Every large tech company has a fixed promotion cadence. Some run twice a year, some once. The specific dates shift slightly each year, but the pattern stays the same. Here's what you need to know:

Google (GRAD Process)

Google runs two major promotion cycles per year, roughly aligned to March and September. Self-nominations and manager nominations typically open 6-8 weeks before the committee review dates. The packet submission deadline lands around January-February for the spring cycle and July-August for the fall cycle.

Key detail: Google's GRAD (Googler Reviews and Development) process emphasizes written evidence over verbal advocacy. The packet is everything.

Meta

Meta runs a biannual performance and promotion cycle, typically in the first half (H1) and second half (H2) of the year. Calibration usually happens in February-March and August-September. Managers begin preparing cases 4-6 weeks before calibration.

Meta's process leans heavily on peer reviews and manager advocacy. Having a structured self-assessment ready for your manager before they start preparing is a significant advantage.

Amazon

Amazon's primary promotion cycle runs in Q1 (January-March), with decisions typically landing in April-May. There's a smaller mid-year cycle that varies by org. Promotion documents are submitted to leadership review meetings (often called "Promo Docs") that follow the Amazon narrative format.

Amazon uniquely expects a written narrative rather than a slide deck or bullet-point packet. The document must demonstrate clear impact through Amazon's leadership principles, with specific data points.

Microsoft

Microsoft runs its primary promotion cycle annually, with decisions typically made in September-October as part of the annual review process. The "Connect" conversations happen throughout the year, but the formal promotion window is concentrated in late summer/early fall.

Start building your case no later than July if you're targeting the annual cycle.

Apple

Apple's promotion cycle is largely annual, typically aligned with the fiscal year performance review in September-October. The process is heavily manager-driven, with calibration sessions happening across leadership levels. Apple's process is less standardized than Google or Amazon - which makes having a structured packet even more valuable because most candidates don't have one.

General Rule for Other Companies

If your company isn't listed above, the pattern is usually one of these:

• Biannual: Q1 (Jan-Mar) and Q3 (Jul-Sep)
• Annual: Tied to fiscal year end, usually September-November
• Rolling: Some companies (rare at large scale) allow promotions at any time. Even then, budget and headcount constraints create de facto cycles.

The 6-Week Rule: Start Building Your Packet Before You Think You Need To

Here's the timeline that maximizes your chances:

6 Weeks Before Submission Deadline

Start writing your promotion packet. Not notes. Not a rough outline. An actual draft with your executive summary, 3-5 key accomplishments with metrics, and evidence of next-level behavior. This is where 90% of people fall behind - they wait until 1-2 weeks before the deadline and rush through something generic.

At 6 weeks out, you still have time to identify gaps and fill them. If you realize you're weak on cross-team impact, you have 6 weeks to lead a cross-team initiative and document it. At 1 week out, you have no options.

4 Weeks Before

Share your draft with your manager. This is the most underutilized move in the promotion playbook. When you show your manager a structured packet 4 weeks early, three things happen:

1. They give you targeted feedback on what's missing or weak.
2. They start internalizing your case, so they can pitch it fluently in calibration.
3. They see you as someone who is serious and organized - which matters more than you think in a room full of competing nominations.

2 Weeks Before

Finalize and request peer feedback. If your company's process includes peer reviews, this is when you want to request them. Give your reviewers specific guidance: "I'm going for promotion to [level]. Could you speak to my work on [project] and its impact on [area]?"

Vague peer review requests get vague responses. Specific requests get usable quotes that your manager can reference in calibration.

1 Week Before

Polish and submit. At this point, your packet should be 95% done. The final week is for proofreading, tightening language, and making sure every accomplishment has a measurable result attached to it.

Why Most People Submit Too Late

The default pattern looks like this:

1. You work hard all year.
2. Promo cycle opens. Your manager mentions it in passing.
3. You think "I should write something up" but you're busy with actual work.
4. The deadline is 2 weeks away. You start writing.
5. You realize you can't remember the specifics of that project from 8 months ago.
6. You submit something generic that sounds like everyone else's packet.
7. You get passed over and wonder why.

The root cause is that most people wait to be asked. They expect their manager to tap them on the shoulder and say "it's time to put your promotion case together." That rarely happens. Managers are juggling 6-10 direct reports, their own deliverables, and a stack of organizational tasks. They're not tracking your promotion readiness with the same urgency you are.

The fix is simple: don't wait to be asked. Proactively start building your case 6 weeks before the deadline and bring it to your manager before they ask for it. You instantly stand out from every other report who's going to rush theirs at the last minute.

The Manager Conversation Timeline: When to Have "The Talk"

Talking to your manager about your promotion isn't a single conversation. It's a sequence, and each conversation has a different purpose:

6 Months Before the Cycle: The Alignment Conversation

"I'm targeting [level] promotion in the [spring/fall] cycle. I'd like to make sure my work over the next 6 months is aligned to the criteria. Can we look at where I'm strong and where I have gaps?"

This conversation sets the frame. Your manager now knows your intent and can actively steer opportunities your way - the cross-team project, the leadership role, the high-visibility initiative.

3 Months Before: The Progress Check

"Here's where I am on the promotion criteria. I feel strong on [X] and [Y]. I'm working on building evidence for [Z]. Does this match your assessment?"

This catches misalignment early. If your manager sees a gap you don't, you still have 3 months to close it. If they agree you're on track, you've just built confidence that they'll champion your case.

6 Weeks Before: The Packet Draft

"I've drafted my promotion packet. Would you review it and tell me what's strongest and what needs more evidence?"

This is the move that separates people who get promoted from people who get deferred. You're giving your manager a finished document they can react to, instead of asking them to build the case from scratch.

1 Week Before Calibration: The Prep

"Is there anything else you need from me to make the strongest possible case in calibration? Any questions the committee might ask that I should prepare evidence for?"

At this point you're arming your manager for the room. They're going to face skeptical questions from committee members. Every piece of ammunition you give them increases your odds.

Signals That You're Ready vs. Signals You Should Wait

You're Ready If...

• You can point to 3-5 concrete accomplishments that map to next-level criteria, each with measurable results.
• You're already operating at the next level in at least some areas - the committee wants to see that promotion is a recognition of existing behavior, not a bet on future potential.
• Your manager has explicitly said you're ready or is actively supporting your nomination.
• You have evidence of influence beyond your immediate team - cross-team projects, mentorship, technical decisions that affected other groups.
• You can articulate the business impact of your work in numbers - revenue, users, latency, cost savings, efficiency gains.

You Should Wait If...

• Your biggest project hasn't landed yet. Committees want to see results, not plans. If your flagship project ships next month, wait for the cycle after so you can show the actual impact.
• You've been at your current level for less than 12 months. There are exceptions, but most committees are skeptical of rapid promotions without a sustained track record.
• Your manager has told you you're not ready. Going over your manager's head or forcing a nomination rarely works. Focus on closing the specific gaps they identified.
• You can't fill more than half the promotion criteria with specific evidence. A weak submission can actually hurt you - committees remember premature nominations.

The Career Cost of Waiting One More Cycle

Every cycle you miss has a concrete price tag. Let's do the math:

A typical senior-level promotion at a large tech company is worth $15,000-50,000+ per year in total compensation - base salary increase, higher stock grant refreshers, and bigger bonus targets. At staff level and above, the jump can be $50,000-100,000+ annually.

If you miss one cycle and wait an additional 6 months, that's $7,500-25,000 in compensation you didn't earn. Wait a full extra year, and you're looking at $15,000-50,000+ in lost earnings.

But the real cost compounds. Your next promotion, your next job negotiation, and your future stock refreshers all anchor against your current level. One delayed promotion pushes everything else back. Over a 10-year career at a top tech company, a single missed cycle can cost $100,000-300,000+ in cumulative lost compensation.

That's not hypothetical. That's the math. And the most common reason people miss a cycle isn't their work quality - it's their timing and documentation.

For a deeper look at why talented people plateau, read what actually happens when you get passed over.

The Right Time Is Earlier Than You Think

If you're reading this article, you're already thinking about promotion timing. That puts you ahead of 80% of your peers who will scramble at the last minute.

Here's the summary:

• 6 months out: Align with your manager on criteria and gaps.
• 3 months out: Check progress and course-correct.
• 6 weeks out: Start writing your promotion packet.
• 4 weeks out: Share your draft with your manager.
• 2 weeks out: Request targeted peer feedback.
• 1 week out: Polish, finalize, arm your manager for calibration.

Most companies run promo cycles in Q1 and Q3. Don't miss this window. If the next cycle is less than 6 weeks away, start your packet today.

Learn more about what managers need from you in what managers wish you knew about the promotion process.

Your Promotion Packet, Written in 10 Minutes

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