Thanks for this! This gave me insight into what to do to get to that level. The only thing I wished the interviewer had done is asked questions about the kind of work Ricky does, what language etc.
Thanks for watching, happy to share this conversation! I'll consider asking future people I have on for at least some high level technical details of what they worked on to give you an idea Some might not be able to say much due to NDA but they should be able to share some high level context at least
It’s basically 80% luck and 20% work. Reason being that your manager could actually be annoyed by being so promo hungry. You ask every now and then if you’re doing good, and management gets annoyed you keep asking. You share a promo plan roadmap, and your manager can easily just brush it off and say, “there’s no need for this, just keep doing good work and it’ll come with time”.
Situation is certainly important. Although if you have a manager like that, you should change teams (you can have control over what situations you put yourself in)
### *Summary of "28 Year Old Staff Eng @ Google Reveals His Promotions"* #### *Introduction and Career Overview* - *Guest Introduction*: Ricky Peterman, promoted to Staff Engineer at Google by age 28, shares his career journey and promotion insights. - *Career Arc*: Started as a new grad in 2017, progressed from L3 to L6 (Staff Engineer) in seven years, significantly faster than average timelines. - *Compensation Growth*: - L3 (New Grad): $180K. - L4 (Mid-Level): $250K after 1.5 years. - L5 (Senior): $350K after 3 years. - L6 (Staff): ~$520K after 6 years. - Promotions attributed to *team stability*, *manager support*, and *preparedness for opportunities*. --- #### *Early Promotions (L3 to L4)* - *Promotion Process*: Initiated by employees but requires ongoing manager discussions about expectations and suitable projects. - *Key to Success*: Show *independence* in project execution without requiring handholding. - *Imposter Syndrome Management*: Overcame it by asking many questions despite fear of appearing “dumb,” ensuring efficient learning. --- #### *Transition to Senior Engineer (L4 to L5)* - *Shift in Behavior*: Ownership of a specific *codebase area* and becoming the *go-to person* for that scope. - *Project Selection*: Found impactful, next-level projects independently, ensuring they aligned with promotion goals. - *Planning Ahead*: Created a *roadmap a year in advance* with manager feedback to align efforts with promotion criteria. - *Saying No*: Politely declined work that didn’t align with promotion goals, emphasizing *growth-focused tasks*. --- #### *Senior to Staff Promotion (L5 to L6)* - *Biggest Difference*: Transitioned from mastering a scope to *challenging the status quo* and driving *cross-functional influence*. - *Staff Project Selection*: Found impactful projects by questioning outdated processes and exploring new opportunities. - *Leadership Development*: Delegated tasks, mentored juniors, and influenced cross-team projects with a focus on *credibility through results*. - *Trade-offs*: Higher responsibility led to reduced flexibility (e.g., fewer breaks, more rigid schedules). --- #### *Reflections on Management and Career* - *Management Experience*: Tried managing due to enjoyment in mentoring but found it challenging and wished he’d waited longer. - *Biggest Challenges*: Giving tough feedback, managing responsibilities at a young age, and balancing professional relationships. - *Advice to Junior Self*: Trust instincts more, overcome imposter syndrome early, and take bold steps sooner. --- #### *General Career Insights* - *Luck vs Effort*: Success attributed to *50% luck* (team, manager stability) and *50% preparation* (delivering impactful results). - *Staying at Google*: Long tenure allowed deep *organizational knowledge* and career momentum, outweighing benefits of frequent job changes. - *Meeting Intensity at Higher Levels*: More meetings at staff levels shift focus from coding to influencing through others. --- #### *Closing Remarks* - Ricky shares his experiences on social media as *Finding Ricky*, emphasizing *trust in oneself* and *learning to push boundaries*.
Was not aware you had a YT channel as well. Subscribed. Keep being awesome.
@@vimarshkoul930 just getting started, thanks for being an early supporter!
Thanks for this! This gave me insight into what to do to get to that level. The only thing I wished the interviewer had done is asked questions about the kind of work Ricky does, what language etc.
Thanks for watching, happy to share this conversation! I'll consider asking future people I have on for at least some high level technical details of what they worked on to give you an idea
Some might not be able to say much due to NDA but they should be able to share some high level context at least
I want to know if that’s his place. 500+ K with IKEA furniture. I find that interesting.
@@cyntiaandres3908 yep that is his place, he’s relatively frugal I’d say
It’s basically 80% luck and 20% work. Reason being that your manager could actually be annoyed by being so promo hungry. You ask every now and then if you’re doing good, and management gets annoyed you keep asking. You share a promo plan roadmap, and your manager can easily just brush it off and say, “there’s no need for this, just keep doing good work and it’ll come with time”.
Situation is certainly important. Although if you have a manager like that, you should change teams (you can have control over what situations you put yourself in)
im jealous, but in a positive kind of way
### *Summary of "28 Year Old Staff Eng @ Google Reveals His Promotions"*
#### *Introduction and Career Overview*
- *Guest Introduction*: Ricky Peterman, promoted to Staff Engineer at Google by age 28, shares his career journey and promotion insights.
- *Career Arc*: Started as a new grad in 2017, progressed from L3 to L6 (Staff Engineer) in seven years, significantly faster than average timelines.
- *Compensation Growth*:
- L3 (New Grad): $180K.
- L4 (Mid-Level): $250K after 1.5 years.
- L5 (Senior): $350K after 3 years.
- L6 (Staff): ~$520K after 6 years.
- Promotions attributed to *team stability*, *manager support*, and *preparedness for opportunities*.
---
#### *Early Promotions (L3 to L4)*
- *Promotion Process*: Initiated by employees but requires ongoing manager discussions about expectations and suitable projects.
- *Key to Success*: Show *independence* in project execution without requiring handholding.
- *Imposter Syndrome Management*: Overcame it by asking many questions despite fear of appearing “dumb,” ensuring efficient learning.
---
#### *Transition to Senior Engineer (L4 to L5)*
- *Shift in Behavior*: Ownership of a specific *codebase area* and becoming the *go-to person* for that scope.
- *Project Selection*: Found impactful, next-level projects independently, ensuring they aligned with promotion goals.
- *Planning Ahead*: Created a *roadmap a year in advance* with manager feedback to align efforts with promotion criteria.
- *Saying No*: Politely declined work that didn’t align with promotion goals, emphasizing *growth-focused tasks*.
---
#### *Senior to Staff Promotion (L5 to L6)*
- *Biggest Difference*: Transitioned from mastering a scope to *challenging the status quo* and driving *cross-functional influence*.
- *Staff Project Selection*: Found impactful projects by questioning outdated processes and exploring new opportunities.
- *Leadership Development*: Delegated tasks, mentored juniors, and influenced cross-team projects with a focus on *credibility through results*.
- *Trade-offs*: Higher responsibility led to reduced flexibility (e.g., fewer breaks, more rigid schedules).
---
#### *Reflections on Management and Career*
- *Management Experience*: Tried managing due to enjoyment in mentoring but found it challenging and wished he’d waited longer.
- *Biggest Challenges*: Giving tough feedback, managing responsibilities at a young age, and balancing professional relationships.
- *Advice to Junior Self*: Trust instincts more, overcome imposter syndrome early, and take bold steps sooner.
---
#### *General Career Insights*
- *Luck vs Effort*: Success attributed to *50% luck* (team, manager stability) and *50% preparation* (delivering impactful results).
- *Staying at Google*: Long tenure allowed deep *organizational knowledge* and career momentum, outweighing benefits of frequent job changes.
- *Meeting Intensity at Higher Levels*: More meetings at staff levels shift focus from coding to influencing through others.
---
#### *Closing Remarks*
- Ricky shares his experiences on social media as *Finding Ricky*, emphasizing *trust in oneself* and *learning to push boundaries*.
so what's next for him?
He told me he's going to start making more TH-cam videos, you can check him out here if you want to follow along: www.youtube.com/@findingricky
i hate the thumbnail but good video
Glad to hear the video was good at least, thanks for the feedback!