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Jade Bonacolta climbed five rungs in six years at LinkedIn by showing she was ready before being asked.
Jade Bonacolta who now works in Google says she didn’t chase titles. She focused on next-level work and the promotions followed. (IMAGE: Jade Bonacolta/Instagram)
Jade Bonacolta moved up five levels in six and a half years at LinkedIn before heading to Google in 2022. She told news outlet Business Insider that her strategy wasn’t complicated. She said that she always asked just two clear questions to her managers: “What are my responsibilities at this level? And what would change if I moved one level up?”
She said that those became her roadmap in earning those promotions.
Bonacolta told the business news outlets that she learned that promotions usually follow once you’re already operating at the next level.
So she made sure her manager could see it, stressing on the need of visibility. While still an associate on the sales productivity team, she didn’t just build presentations. She said that she started presenting them directly to senior leadership.
Bonacolta pointed out that this kind of initiative wasn’t expected at her level, but it helped her stand out.
By the time leadership found out her title, they were surprised because she was already working like a manager and that visibility fast-tracked her climb.
But Bonacolta also warned against chasing promotions just for the title. If the work doesn’t align with your interests, burnout is inevitable. “You want to feel inspired,” she was quoted as saying by Business Insider, stressing that people should still focus on doing their current job well, even while aiming higher.
She shared four advice for anyone who aims to grow in their career. She suggests asking one’s manager for clarity on expectations at each level. She urges professionals to show initiative by doing work at the next level.
She also points out that professionals must ensure that the path they have chosen should excite them, or it won’t be worth it. And lastly she said the professionals must not choose sight of their current job while you chase the next one.
She said she carried the same mindset to Google, where she says excelling in your core role matters more than side projects.

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev…Read More
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev… Read More
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