Promotions/ Career Growth/ Professional development : A BIG LIE
Promotions/ Career Growth/ Professional development are a big lie to exploit innocent employees especially graduates out of college to keep them interested and to exploit them . Please share your stories.
@5bnb The (old) CPC rating isn't the most important thing - seriously, that was a stack ranking issue - I had one colleague who was forced to be given a poor rating because of stack ranking. It was clear to everybody this was just a number thing. It wasn't meant seriously as the guy wasn't brilliant, but a useful middling employee - even the employee was told this was just a required paperwork thing.
Well, there was a reorg, and the new VP refused to give him a bonus because of this poor ranking - ouch.
The other measure is the IPF which is used to arrive at the amount allocated in the bonus budget. So, if you have a couple of poorly paid lower grades who are struggling to eat in SJ, a kind hearted manager will bump up their rating to give them more bonus. This means they then reduce the IPF factor for the other top performers to free up the budget. I've had low IPF's whilst getting top CPC rating for this very reason (there are ranges you have to put them in - so a core or 3/5 will get you between .92 and 1.08).
In fact, every year, one of my colleagues makes out a spread-sheet for the bonus calculation - you put in your salary and bonus percentage and wait. Then, when you get your Webletter you IMMEDIATELY know what IPF you've been given. So, (assuming your manager calls you to deliver it) you know INSTANTLY if you're been told BS. So the "fantastic job, wonderful contribution, etc etc" is really meaningless when the spread-sheet sitting in front of you tells you that the IPF they used for you was 0.93!!
But back to the question - I've been promoted with a "core" or 3/5 rating, but not when 4/5 or 5/5 for years running.
First, they don't tell you your rating in the CPC thanks to the People deal.
Secondly, they break you down and drive you nuts when it comes to explaining the promotion process.
Thirdly, this a very regressive environment for any sort of growth.
Perhaps this is the reason for the dead weight in Cisco since the employees lose interest to deliver anything.
Let me clear up a few misconceptions and confirm some other things:
For many years the budget for promotions has been extremely scarce.
There are two budgets managed for promos, the actual $ budget and restricting the number of people actually promoted.
Managers cannot just "promote somebody". There are multiple levels of approval and the budget needs to be there.
You can get promoted faster by job hopping. You can get promotions as part of taking a new job within Cisco. However, it also makes you even more vulnerable to the annual Hunger Games as you will be less time in grade.
It is absolutely true that the solid performers who work quietly behind the scenes are recognized less than those that operate in Fire Fight Mode. They get the CRs, the get the attention when they "save the day" even when they set the fire in the first place.
The best way to get promotions is to ask for them. Start by asking what are the criteria you need to meet to get promoted. Get it spelled out for you. Then check back on a regular basis asking how you are tracking. Make your manager invested in seeing you promoted.
Remember it is a process. It will take a while.
Don't be afraid to use leverage. If you've met the criteria and no promotion is forthcoming then make sure your manager knows you are a "retention risk".
Don't be afraid to walk out the door. Especially early in your career you are a hot commodity.
Kissing a-- does help with getting you promoted.
You will get promoted a lot faster in SJ than anyplace else.
Self promotion is critical. You need to make sure your accomplishments are clearly presented to your manager and ideally your director.
amu nails it. At Cisco, it's the spectacular diving catch that gets rewarded, that gets the all-important "visibility." Competence and steady execution - preventing problems from becoming problems in the first place - isn't as sεxy, doesn't get the ol' adrenaline pumping, and can't masquerade as a "win" in some exec's quarterly PowerPoint deck. Anyone who bothers to dig deeper might find that the person doing the diving catch is probably the same person who, if they'd had their eye properly on the ball, could have prevented the situation from spiraling out of control in the first place.
But we all know which behavior gets rewarded, right?
Agree God Father needed.
Agree Smart people are taken care in Cisco.
Agree Cisco doesnot have right Technical Managers.
Most of people leave the Cisco and come back in 1 year with higher grade. There is no rule for Promotion.
I have seen people with 4 years are in G8 and if you ask them TCP full form they will tell 1 paragraph english communication by sending email to all stakeholders.
How you speak is not point in Cisco How you work is not point in Cisco
How you understand weakpoint of your manager & how smartly you fool him to get promoted by sending 100 emails/Day. Cisco's biggest mistake Poor quality Managers who themselves create their own people. If you work 100 years no one cares....you work 1 year by highlighting you will be top position. Here one guy pull other leg. you need Godfather.
I worked very hard but still in G10 since 6 years but but 10 years guy got TL and other TL are not good in technical but fools mgmt superb.
Never believe mgr who is asking you initiative , promise, dreams.
Right mgrs can promote without doing it as there is no rule for promotion.
All of those replies are true. If you just do whatever they throw you, and you don't make a noise, and nobody knows you - you're going to die of old age in that cube. Consider this case, I worked (pre-CSCO) at another very big IT company. One of my colleagues was fantastic - the most brilliant person I've ever worked with, yet calm, pleasant and friendly. He handled the top customers on the top service contracts in the country I was living (included regular on-site visits, software maintenance, etc). Another colleague was hired our of college the year after me, and a very nice, outgoing guy.
Well, after a few years, my calm friend was just handling all the big customers (think Stock Exchange and that level). You NEVER heard a peep from those customers. He just handled it, no matter if it was big downtime, bugs, whatever. He just made it work, kept 'em happy, super professional.
The other guy was also very smart, but a bit loud and larger and life. He was in services and got posted to a project on a major customer. Well, there were a few issues - bugs in relational database system. Well, there were escalations, and flights to the US, and VP visits, and exec con-calls, etc etc. EVERYBODY knew about this customer, and all the problems they were having, and who was the on-site point man.
I'll let you guess who got more actively promoted and feted.
You need to be a beautiful woman or you need to have a God Father to grow here....
not true, I have been promoted 3 times, you just dont care to know or play the system. Sitting duck for layoff or stepped over because you like to sit in your cube all day. Cisco is like any other company, you have to grab whats yours, make every interaction count. Everyone is watching, and they will let you set in the cube at grade 7 pay for 10 years clueless.
100% TRUE. it's always " Next fiscal" or theres no budget, or the all time favourite " visibility" excuse. I spent 6 years as a grade 7, ultimately doing the work of a grade 10. I asked one final time for a promotion, which was offered to me, BUT with the caveat that it would be "cashless". My resignation letter was signed that afternoon and was gone 4 weeks later. I shouldnt have waited so long. There are a chosen few that will get promoted each and every year, be offered the best jobs without any public listing on the job boards, but unless you are one of those people, Cisco is not the place to expect any career progression.