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Nobody Is Coming to Save Your Career

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Why This Matters

This article highlights the importance for tech professionals and consumers to proactively manage their careers, as managers typically do not prioritize individual growth. Taking ownership of career development is crucial for advancement and avoiding stagnation in a competitive industry.

Key Takeaways

Your manager is not thinking about your career growth right now. Neither is your skip-level.

The only person whose job it is to grow your career is you.

If this idea makes you uncomfortable, this article is for you.

I had over 20 managers across my 18 years at Amazon. They were mostly good managers, and some of them were great. But not one of them ever came to me unprompted and said, “Let’s talk about your career growth.”

That’s because my career was never their job. They had their own bosses to manage, their own priorities, and a team full of other people who also needed their attention.

Every big opportunity, every promotion I ever got, including the one to Principal Engineer, happened because I drove it. I started the conversations, and the good managers supported me.

Most people assume someone will tap them on the shoulder when it’s time. In my experience, that assumption is the single biggest reason high performers get stuck.

Here are three truths about who owns your career, and what to do if you realize that you’re trapped on the wrong side of them.

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