Your first year plan

Setting goals with your manager, earning more responsibility, your first raise conversation and knowing when a move makes sense.

Also called yearly goals, written goals

What: Three or four written goals for the year, agreed with your manager, each with what success looks like and how you will show it.
Why: Shared written goals make reviews fair and turn growth from a hope into a plan you check every month or two.
Example: By month 9, own the on-call runbook for the export service and lead one incident review with a senior shadowing.

Also called levels, leveling guide, competency matrix

What: A company document describing what is expected at each level, such as junior, mid and senior, across skills like delivery, quality and communication.
Why: It tells you what the next level looks like, so you can ask for work that builds evidence for it.

Watch out

Assuming you know what your company means by "mid-level" without reading its own ladder.

What: Asking for a slightly bigger, specific piece of work once you deliver your current work reliably, with a plan for the support you need.
Why: Scope grows by stretching a little and succeeding, not by waiting to be noticed.
Example: I have shipped the last five export tickets without rework. Could I own the next export feature end to end, with you reviewing the design first?

Watch out

Asking for a big project while your current tickets still slip.

Also called salary review, pay rise, increment, raise conversation

What: A prepared conversation about pay, usually timed with the review cycle, based on your evidence, your expanded scope and market data.
Why: Many companies adjust pay mostly at review time. Raising it early and with evidence gives your manager time to argue for you.

Watch out

Raising pay for the first time after the budget is already decided, or leading with a threat to leave.

What: Comparing your pay with current data for your role, level and location from salary sites, published ranges and trusted peers.
Why: It tells you whether a raise request is reasonable and whether a move would change much.

Watch out

Comparing a local junior salary with a senior salary at a global company.

Also called changing jobs early

What: Reasons that justify leaving within the first year, such as unpaid salary, harassment, no real engineering work or a clear offer of much better growth.
Why: Most first jobs are worth at least a year for the learning, but some are not. Knowing the difference avoids both staying too long and jumping too soon.

Watch out

Leaving after three months because the first tasks were boring, before learning what the job could become.

Also called mentor, sponsor, skip-level

What: People beyond your manager who advise you, such as a senior engineer, a mentor in another team or your manager's manager.
Why: Different people see different parts of your work and open different doors, and they help if your manager changes.

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