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Comment by JohnFen | Hacker News Reader

> Has anyone worked somewhere that they felt they could just do their job without worrying about the career advancement aspect?

That's every place I've ever worked, to be honest, including tech megacorps. Lots of places will put a lot of emphasis on career advancement, but I've never seen anyone punished for not doing it. I'm not counting "won't get promoted" as a punishment, for obvious reasons.

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My non-tech company seems to also have this up or out mentality. They don't have a specific timeline, but if you're a midlevel for too long like me, they definitely try to manage you out. I've had a few friends who are managers confirm this.

Yeah, you can run into it anywhere. When I was in the pizza delivery business in my early 20s, once you got into management, there was very much an up-or-out mentality. You couldn't just be a really good assistant manager; you were pushed to move up to manager and then to a bigger store and so on. It just seems to bother the climbers to see someone content to stay in the position he knows he's best suited for.

My theory is they want more than they pay for. They want to pay you the salary for Level X while you work hard to get to Level X+1

I have a disability, so I'm stuck where I'm at.

And what happens when they let you go?

I also have a slight disability. Are you saying there is no other place in the US where you can work? Not even remotely?

I'll probably just work at Walmart or something. There are very few opportunities in my area for tech jobs and remote isn't the best fit for me. My wife isn't open to moving either.

If you can actually work in an office, what does your disability have to do with not being able to get another job? I can’t imagine a disability where you are mobile enough to go into an office but limits your ability to get another job.

Especially if you can work at Walmart where you have to stand on your feet and move stuff all day.

For reference: I have cerebral palsy that for all intents and purposes affects mostly my left hand. But standing all day in a retail job day in and day out would be detrimental because of a slight affect of CP on my left foot.

FB (10 years ago atleast) had a timelimit to go from L4 to L5

That's because L5 was the terminal senior level (whereas L4 is still mid-level).

Google as well

L5 and chill

The key is to keep switching teams. If you stay in same team for a long time, your manager will start pushing you for promotion, either because they like you and start feeling bad for you or maybe they are pressured by their higher ups.

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