The Job Rubric Hack: How I Got Promoted Two Levels in One Conversation
Years ago, I was stuck.
I was doing good work. Getting solid reviews. But the promotion I wanted wasn't coming. No timeline, no clarity — just "keep doing what you're doing."
So I tried something different. It took one evening and one piece of paper. A week later, I was promoted two levels.
I've since shared this tactic with coworkers, friends, and mentees. It has worked for every single one of them.
Here's the play.
Step 1: Get the Job Rubric
I called HR and asked for the job rubric for the position above mine — the one I wanted.
Most companies have these. They're the formal criteria used to evaluate whether someone qualifies for a role: responsibilities, competencies, expectations. HR uses them. Your manager uses them. They're not secret — but almost nobody asks for them.
I asked. They sent it over.
Step 2: Map Yourself Against It
That night, I sat at my kitchen table with the rubric printed out.
Between every bullet point — every listed responsibility and competency — I handwrote specific examples of how I was already doing that work.
Not "I could do this." Not "I'm ready to learn this."
I wrote: "I am currently doing this. Here's the proof."
Project names. Results. Metrics where I had them. Concrete examples that couldn't be argued with.
By the end, the document wasn't a job rubric anymore. It was a case file.
Step 3: Hand It to the Decision Maker
I submitted the annotated rubric to my VP.
He read it. Then he stood up, walked into the CFO's office, and said something to the effect of: "We need to promote him two levels or we're going to lose him."
I'm paraphrasing — but I'm not exaggerating.
Within a week, I had the promotion. Two levels, not one.
What Happens If You Don't Ask
Let me tell you what happens behind closed doors.
I've been a hiring manager for years. When performance appraisal season comes around, the senior team sits in a room and reviews staff. For each person, the conversation usually comes down to three questions:
Have they asked for a promotion or a specific raise?
Are they a flight risk?
If neither — give them the standard 2.5% or 3%.
That's it. That's the meeting.
If you haven't raised your hand, you're not in the conversation. You get the default increase — the one that barely keeps up with inflation. Not because you're not valued. Because there's no friction. No urgency. No case to discuss.
The rubric hack answers question #1 with documented proof. It puts you in the room even when you're not in the room.
Now you know why this works.
Why This Works
You're doing their job for them. Managers want to promote good people. But building the justification takes time — time they don't have. When you hand them a document that makes the case, you remove the friction. You make it easy to say yes.
You're removing risk. Promotions are decisions. Decisions carry risk. What if they promote you and you can't do the job? Your annotated rubric eliminates that fear. You're not asking them to bet on your potential. You're showing them you're already performing at the next level.
You're signaling initiative. Most employees wait to be noticed. They hope their work speaks for itself. It doesn't. The people who advance are the ones who advocate for themselves — clearly, professionally, and with evidence. This document says: "I'm serious about my career, and I've done the homework."
You're creating urgency. When a manager sees that you've mapped yourself against a higher role and you're already doing the work, a thought enters their mind: if we don't promote this person, someone else will. You're not threatening. You're clarifying your value — and the cost of inaction.
How to Do This Yourself
1. Request the rubric. Email HR or your manager: "I'd like to better understand what's expected at the [target position] level. Can you share the job rubric or competency framework?" If they don't have a formal rubric, ask for the job description of someone at that level, or the criteria used in performance reviews.
2. Print it out. Something about pen and paper makes this work. You're building a case, not filling out a form.
3. Annotate every line. For each responsibility or competency listed, write a specific example of how you're already meeting it. Be concrete:
"Led the Q3 budget reconciliation project — delivered 2 weeks early."
"Currently mentoring two junior analysts on forecasting methods."
"Manage vendor relationships for $2M annual spend."
If there's a gap, note it honestly — and add what you're doing to close it.
4. Submit it. Send it to your manager or the decision maker with a short note: "I've been thinking about my growth path and wanted to share how my current work maps to the [target position] level. I'd welcome a conversation about next steps." Professional. Direct. No begging.
5. Let them act. You've made the case. Now let it work. Follow up if needed, but don't grovel. The document does the heavy lifting.
The Results
I've shared this approach with more than a dozen people over the years. Every one of them got promoted — most within a few months of submitting their annotated rubric.
It's not magic. It's clarity.
You're not asking for a favor. You're showing — on paper — that you've already earned what you're asking for.
Most people wait for permission. The rubric hack is how you give yourself permission and hand them the proof.
Your Move
This week:
Email HR or your manager and request the job rubric for the position above yours.
Block one hour this weekend to annotate it.
Submit it before your next one-on-one.
Stop waiting to be noticed. Build the case. Hand it over.
Then let them decide how much they want to keep you.
The Scot Free Take
Here's what nobody tells you about promotions: they're not about performance. They're about perception of readiness.
You can be the best performer on your team and still get passed over. I've seen it happen a hundred times. Great work, solid reviews, no promotion. Why? Because doing good work and proving you're ready for the next level are two completely different games.
Most people play the first game. They put their head down, crush their goals, and wait for someone to notice. And they wait. And wait.
The people who advance play the second game. They make the case. They document the evidence. They hand decision-makers a reason to act — and remove every excuse not to.
That's what the rubric hack does. It shifts you from "hoping to be recognized" to "impossible to ignore."
I didn't invent some clever trick. I just stopped waiting for the system to work and started working the system.
The rubric already exists. The criteria are already written. You're just the first person in your department to actually use them.
That's the edge. It's not talent. It's not luck.
It's knowing that the game has rules — and reading them before you play.
One last thing - don’t wait until you are performing 100% of the ‘next level role’ - you only need to be 70% - then address the gaps.
GO.
— Scot Free