How a Promotion Can Kill a Career

A software engineer shares a personal story about how asking for the wrong title promotion nearly derailed their career. Two key mistakes are examined: requesting an IC title (Principal Engineer) when their long-term goal was engineering leadership, and skipping multiple title levels at once. The sudden jump to Principal caused recruiter outreach to dry up due to the unusual career progression on paper. Management later corrected the title to Staff Engineer, which restored normal recruiter interest. The post also covers how the author eventually became a VP at a smaller company, explaining why that situation was different, and closes with practical lessons about title strategy, career tracks, and how job titles affect external perception.