Promotions
How to build a promotion case
A promotion case is not a list of everything you did. It is a short, dated argument that you are already performing at the next level, built from seven kinds of evidence: results, scope, level behaviours, repetition, recognition, business relevance and your actual attribution.
Written by the Look at you go team · Published 18 August 2026
Why most promotion cases fail
Most cases fail for one of three reasons. They describe effort rather than outcomes. They describe the current job done well, which argues for a good rating rather than a new level. Or they describe work the person contributed to without being clear what they personally decided, owned or changed.
The decision is usually made in a room you are not in, by people who have not watched your work closely, in about four minutes. Your case has to survive being summarised by someone else.
The seven-part evidence framework
| Dimension | The question it answers | What proof looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Results | What changed because of your work? | A number, a before and after, or a decision that went differently. |
| Scope | What are you responsible for now that you were not before? | Budget, headcount, systems, regions, risk, stakeholder seniority. |
| Level | Are you doing the next role's behaviours? | Setting direction, resolving ambiguity, making calls without escalation. |
| Repetition | Was this a one-off or the pattern? | Three or more instances across months, not one heroic quarter. |
| Recognition | Who else already treats you as that level? | Being asked, being trusted, written feedback, work routed to you. |
| Business relevance | Why did it matter to the organisation? | The cost, risk or opportunity attached to the work. |
| Attribution | What did you actually do? | Your specific decisions, separated from the team's output. |
Weak, better, strong
The same piece of work, told three ways
Weak
I have been really busy and taken on a lot this year.
Better
I took on three extra projects after we lost a team member.
Strong
Since March I have independently owned three projects previously run by a senior manager, including the supplier migration, which came in on time and removed a £21k annual cost.
The difference is not confidence or vocabulary. It is dates, ownership, comparison to the previous level, and an outcome someone else can verify.
Structure the document
One page, five headings
- The ask: the role, the level, and when you want it decided.
- The claim: one sentence on what you are already doing at that level.
- The evidence: three to five proof points, each with date, scope, your contribution and the outcome.
- The pattern: why this is sustained rather than a good quarter.
- The gap: what you know is still developing, and your plan for it.
What not to do
- Do not compare yourself to a colleague. It moves the conversation to them.
- Do not lead with tenure. Time served is not evidence of level.
- Do not present a task list. Nobody promotes a job description.
- Do not claim team outcomes without separating your contribution. One challenge and the case collapses.
- Do not spring it in the review meeting. Calibration has usually already happened.
Related questions
- How long should a promotion case be?
- One page, plus an appendix if your organisation asks for one. Your manager will need to summarise it in a few sentences, so make the summary easy to lift straight off the page.
- How many examples do I need?
- Three to five strong, dated proof points. A longer list dilutes the argument and invites someone to pick the weakest item and argue with that.
Check what evidence you already have
Try the promotion readiness checkRelated guides
- Evidence for a promotion: what actually counts
- How do you know if you are ready for a promotion?
- How to ask for a promotion
- Promotion readiness check
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