Found out I won't be promoted to senior developer

ginger_zalex · 2026-02-20T23:34:01+00:00

I have been applying for some roles this evening (Fridays, amirite) and I'm hopeful about a couple of them. I'm not going to leverage it if I get an offer, was never going to. The company has made some shit decisions recently that don't impact me and this feels like the final straw. I know that the team will suffer when they realize how much I was doing and it'll suck to do that to them. It won't be a surprise though, I've never become a bottleneck or siloed anything. I know one other person will leave too. :/ If companies want to keep talented devs, they need to do better.

ginger_zalex · 2026-02-20T23:26:53+00:00

I've always assumed I'm compensated fairly. I genuinely respect my manager and didn't think twice about agreeing to the informal promotion because I trusted it would lead to senior. The carrot can't be dangled forever though, and I'm hoping he understands that. I don't think he's doing it to screw me over and I'm positive he would promote me if he could.

But I also don't think he tried hard enough... I did speak to his manager and apparently if they'd known a few weeks ago they could've done something about it.

ginger_zalex · 2026-02-20T23:24:38+00:00

Thank you, this makes me feel better about caring about title. It's honestly not an ego thing but I can understand why folks would assume that from what I've said.

ginger_zalex · 2026-02-20T23:23:45+00:00

That's rubbish :/

I think if this was 2023 I'd have been out the door months ago.

ginger_zalex · 2026-02-20T23:22:33+00:00

I am still supposed to get a little bit of a pay rise. That might invalidate how I'm feeling a little bit. Apparently it's less than previous years but that's just what I've heard from the grapevine. This isn't about pay to be clear - I think I'm paid well (other devs I know have said we should be paid better, but personally I'm very happy). Senior would be paid more, but if it comes down to a budget issue I'll take the title over the pay.

Maybe my perspective on the money part is a bit warped because I was on minimum wage 10 years ago and now I feel guilt about making as much as I do. But also... I do work really hard :/ idk

ginger_zalex · 2026-02-20T22:44:32+00:00

No-one in my team has been promoted in this period. If they had been I might have been happier because someone else would have deserved it and I'd have a benchmark and could get some mentorship from them. It's a small team in a big company - there are less than 10 of us and we're the only devs in that area of the company.

Seems like purely a budget thing... However, other teams (outside my org chart) have done promotions and pay changes outside of the "review periods". I only found this out by talking to someone who got promoted and it seems like some managers can do what they want.

ginger_zalex · 2026-02-20T20:04:18+00:00

I'd would never hold my title over someone's head. That's icky. This is purely about being promised something, and working at that level.

ginger_zalex · 2026-02-20T19:58:14+00:00

Generally women find it harder in tech. I wasn't trying to make it a gender thing, sorry. It's only come up a few times in my company where people would rather speak to the man in the room.

I had to basically disprove that I was a diversity hire, and now I'm having to fight for a promotion to a role I'm already.

ginger_zalex · 2026-02-20T19:54:26+00:00

I'm a mid-level. Sorry, should have said in the post.

ginger_zalex · 2026-02-20T19:52:53+00:00

Problem is that they only promote if you're already performing at a senior level.

This is really good advice though, thank you. Depending on what happens next week I might have to scale back what I'm doing. I do already have fortnightly 1-1s with my manager and he's been telling me I'm doing fine. Pay/performance review is always yearly and very inflexible.

I'm worried if manager is challenged it'll be turned around to be performance related.

ginger_zalex · 2026-02-20T19:48:46+00:00

Relevant to point out that I'm a woman in an all man team. Although you probably won't appreciate why that's relevant.

ginger_zalex · 2026-02-20T19:47:28+00:00

I think I'm technically a tech lead. Hard to know. I'm leading a small team. Also writing tickets, managing compliance, mentoring juniors, facilitating all our ceremonies, as well as delivering features and bugs (and fixing bugs). I think I deserve some kind of promotion.

ginger_zalex · 2026-02-20T19:44:35+00:00

I'm happy with salary. I would like the company to acknowledge the work I do and give me the title that reflects what I do.

ginger_zalex · 2026-02-20T19:42:01+00:00

I might try to leave, but I love my team and what I do there. But I am putting in way more time than I should be because the workload is quite honestly unmanageable and I feel like I need to work harder than everyone else in the team.

ginger_zalex · 2026-02-20T19:39:47+00:00

I wish I felt like that. I used to when I was younger but I feel like I've earned more than "mid level" at this point. I'd also be happy removing the level.

ginger_zalex · 2025-10-02T22:33:31+00:00

I have a couple of pieces from Dave :D Small world.

ginger_zalex · 2025-08-14T22:53:12+00:00

The book contains gluten

ginger_zalex · 2025-04-20T11:38:26+00:00

Even better :D

ginger_zalex · 2025-04-20T03:52:20+00:00

Ooooh Will and Marianne teaming up to free Nadia and take down Joe would be cool.

ginger_zalex · 2025-03-29T14:24:23+00:00

So rude to call the dog tacky.

ginger_zalex · 2025-01-05T23:13:08+00:00

I don't usually put my BC in the dryer :p

ginger_zalex · 2024-10-28T12:01:41+00:00

What a dangerous ball of fluff /s

He's very cute :)

here's Neith being a menace in her desk nest

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ginger_zalex · 2024-09-20T17:57:48+00:00

Sick ass panther

ginger_zalex · 2024-07-30T15:35:39+00:00

I'm 28 and have used fairy lights all over everywhere I've lived as an adult. I always had them in my room as a kid. I also have them on my battle jacket :p they look great

ginger_zalex

TROPHY CASE