Your Next Promotion Isn’t About How Hard You Work. It’s About How Smart You Play The Game

Most people fumble the one opportunity that could catapult their career: the 1:1 with their manager. Let me break down how to flip this boring meeting into a power move that guarantees your next pay bump.

The Brutal Truth About Pay Bumps

I work for one reason: money.

I exchange my time for cash, so I want my time to become more valuable every year. But meaningful pay raises don’t fall into your lap. You’ve got to earn them—and more importantly, position yourself for them.

Let me tell you how I learned this the hard way.

My first pay bump in SEO? Insulting. It worked out to something like $3.30 more per hour. Sure, I was grateful that my boss threw me a bone without me asking. But honestly? It felt like a slap in the face.

Two days later, I made my move.

I came prepared with a list of my achievements from the past year. I had talking points. I’d done my homework on the market rate for my role. And I walked out of that meeting with a massive pay jump: from $30 to $49 an hour—a $40K raise.

But let me be clear: the raise wasn’t won in that meeting.

It was won during every 1:1 I had with my manager.

The One Thing That Determines Your Promotion

If you’re treating your 1:1 as a weekly chore, you’re doing it wrong.

Your 1:1 isn’t for venting. Your 1:1 isn’t for day-to-day updates. Your 1:1 is your promotion strategy.

Here’s how to run it like a pro:

1. What you’ve achieved Show your wins. Be specific. Be measurable. This isn’t the time for “I worked really hard on X.” Managers respond to results, not effort.

2. What you need help with Don’t complain. Ask for support. This positions your manager as your ally, not your adversary.

3. A specific ask Give your manager a clear, actionable takeaway. What do they need to do to help you move forward?

The Manager Breakdown

A good manager will listen. A great manager will ask how they can serve you. A bad manager? They’ll turn your 1:1 into a status update slog.

If you have a great manager, lean into it. When I went in-house, my manager made it crystal clear: his role was to remove my blockers. No micromanagement. No wasted time. Just pure, unfiltered support.

The result? I qualified for a pay bump in just nine months.

I didn’t stick around to cash it in, but the lesson was clear: a great manager sees your success as their success.

How to Dominate Your 1:1s

Stop winging it. Start maximizing every meeting. Here’s your playbook:

1. Provide an agenda beforehand Don’t leave the meeting directionless. Set the tone early.

2. Come prepared Know your wins, your challenges, and your asks.

3. Send an update email Cover all the day-to-day noise in a quick email so the meeting can focus on strategic conversations.

Final Thoughts

Your 1:1 isn’t just a meeting. It’s a test. A stage. A chance to position yourself as a high-value employee who gets shit done and knows how to drive results.

Every raise I’ve earned—and every raise I’ve lost—boils down to how I’ve handled this one opportunity.

Ready to turn your 1:1s into your career’s secret weapon?

See you next week.