>That's why many big tech companies have moved to a "level" system Although you have to do it right. Netscape had such a system, with levels ranging from T1 t

>That's why many big tech companies have moved to a "level" system Although you have to do it right. Netscape had such a system, with levels ranging from T1 to T7. I started at T4. Two years later, I was doing work that, according to the written definitions, should have put me into T5. I asked my manager if I could get promoted; he bumped it up to his director. About four months later, the director answered me: yes, I did meet the written definition, but, no, I couldn't have a promotion, because they didn't actually use the written definitions. They were guidelines, but the real standard for promoting to level N was comparing the person to other people who were already at level N...and there were no T5s in the company. Basically, it was a firebreak, which provided the appearance of a career path, without providing the reality. (I expect this wasn't on purpose, but that was the effect.) Three months later, I moved to another company, hired as what Netscape would've called a T7.