Reflections on My Daughter's Promotion at FAANG: Non-Work Factors. Part A - Goals and Executions *

Goal setting, Consistent execution, and having a good mentor.

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The article series:

• Part A - Goals and Executions

• Part B - Study for an Honours Degree Part-Time

• Part C - Publishing a Book

Courtney, my daughter, works as a Software Development Engineer at a FAANG company. At home, we rarely discussed about IT technical related to her work.

My general guidance for her is simple:

• Work hard.

• Complete assigned tasks and do them well.

• Test your own work.

• Respect and learn from your peers.

• Share your knowledge and skills openly and teaching others is another form of learning.

Additionally, I’ve offered some general technical advice, such as:

• Use keyboard shortcuts to boost productivity.

• Automate tasks whenever possible.

• Use shell and Ruby scripts for more efficient task management.

• Recommend some books and blogs to help expand knowledge.

The primary (90%+) reason Courtney received her promotion relatively quickly was her good performance at work. She is a hard-working individual.

This article series focuses on the minor factors (maybe ~10%) that many people may not realize contribute to promotions. These factors are things Courtney does in her spare time.

Additionally, the achievements she’s made outside of work do more than just enhance her career—they may open up more opportunities in the future.

Table of Contents:
· The promotion
· Goal setting
· Executions
· Summary

The promotion

One morning, Courtney shared the news that the company’s Quarterly Promotion email had arrived, and her name was on the list.

Complements from her manager

I left out the details of her achievements at work, focusing instead on highlighting her “remarkable accomplishments” outside of work.

• Completed the First Class Honours Degree
  (2.5 years part-time; and she got ALL-As)

• Became a published author

That’s why I think these non-work activities somewhat contributed to her promotion.

I foresaw this outcome. Why and how I helped make it happen?