Jade Bonacolta earned five promotions in just six and a half years at LinkedIn before joining Google in 2022. Her strategy? Two simple yet powerful questions to her manager: "What are my responsibilities at my current level?" and "How would they change one level up?" These questions became her blueprint to climb the corporate ladder quickly and with clarity.
In a conversation with Business Insider, Bonacolta said that she's discovered that promotions often come after one is already performing at the next level. She made sure her manager had visibility into her progress and proactively took on higher-level responsibilities. For example, as an associate in the sales productivity team, she not only created stakeholder presentations but also began presenting them to senior leadership - an uncommon move at her level.
Her consistent delivery of senior-level work gained recognition across the organisation. Senior executives were surprised to learn she was only an associate, as she already operated at a manager's level. These moments helped secure her advancement.
But Bonacolta warns against blindly chasing promotions. She emphasizes aligning growth opportunities with personal interest to avoid burnout. "You want to feel inspired," she says, reminding professionals to stay grounded in their current responsibilities even while reaching for more.
She also shared four dos and don'ts for professionals seeking similar growth:
1. Do speak with your manager to get role clarity and expectations at each level.
2. Do take action by proactively demonstrating next-level responsibilities.
3. Do ensure the path aligns with your interests to avoid burnout.
4. Don't neglect your current duties, no matter how eager you are to grow.
At Google, she carried these lessons forward, highlighting the importance of excelling in your current role before exploring additional projects like Google's 20% time initiative.
Bonacolta's journey is proof that the fastest path to promotion isn't waiting to be noticed. It's showing you're already ready for what's next.
