“I had 4 promotions in 5 years”: Ritvika Nagula reveals how self-advocacy, consistent feedback, and high-impact work helped her rise in tech despite AI job disruptions.
The global tech industry is in flux, with AI replacing many junior roles and professionals living under the constant threat of layoffs. Yet, for Indian-origin Microsoft engineer Ritvika Nagula, the past five years have been a story of extraordinary growth. She has secured four promotions in just five years at Microsoft, rising from a new graduate hire to senior software engineer in one of the most competitive sectors, reported financialexpress.com.
From silent hard work to proactive career ownership, Nagula reshaped her strategy to climb the corporate ladder.
When Nagula joined Microsoft’s Azure division in April 2019, she assumed consistent high-quality work alone would guarantee advancement. But after her first year without movement, she realized that staying silent about her ambitions could be mistaken for a lack of ambition.
From her second year, she began monthly one-on-one meetings with her manager, ensuring at least one conversation focused on her career growth. She asked pointed questions—What is going well? Where can I improve? What am I overlooking?—and set herself a clear timetable to advance every 18–24 months.
Nagula also leveraged Microsoft’s internal “role library” to benchmark her progress against expectations at each level, identifying skill gaps and working to close them
Feedback became a constant part of her work life. She sought it not just from her manager but from peers and mentors. When she learned that leadership experience was a prerequisite for promotion, she proactively asked to lead an end-to-end project rather than waiting to be assigned one.
Her approach shifted from simply completing tasks to focusing on projects with measurable, strategic impact. “Getting promoted isn’t just about doing what’s on your plate,” she explained. “It’s about taking ownership, finding opportunities, and making sure your work moves the needle in ways that matter.”
By combining self-awareness, active goal-setting, and high-impact delivery, Nagula has charted a path of remarkable career progression—demonstrating how ambition, when paired with action, can outpace even the uncertainties of the tech world.
