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The biggest question everyone faces as soon as they step into the corporate world is promotion! But often after receiving the promotion letter, employees are forced to think about what effect their new grade (J, IC or M) will have on their pocket and career. Do you know why companies have created these grades and how your salary and responsibilities are decided through them? If you too are troubled by this ‘grade math’ of your career, then this report is for you.
What do these grades: J, IC and M mean?
Nowadays, big companies divide employees into different categories to increase their efficiency. Typically, ‘J’ stands for ‘Junior’ or ‘Entry-level’, meaning early in one’s career. ‘IC’ means ‘Individual Contributor’, that is, professionals who work on the basis of their technology or skills, but do not have the responsibility of management. Whereas, ‘M’ means ‘Managerial’ role, where the main job of the employee is to manage the team and lead projects. With each grade, both the base and variable of your salary change.
How much salary at which level? Know what is the trend of the market
The salary structure completely depends on the industry and company policies, but broadly the grade wise changes are as follows:
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J-Grade (Junior): In this, a large part of the salary is fixed. Here the main focus is on learning, hence the percentage of increment is not very high.
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IC-Grade (Individual Contributor): The rule of ‘skill-based pay’ applies here. As your expertise increases, you may see a jump of 15% to 30% in salary.
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M-Grade (Managerial): Here, bonuses and ‘stock options’ (ESOPs) are also attached to the salary. As a manager, 10% to 20% of your salary is performance based variable pay.
Responsibilities change with promotion and grade
Not just salary, changing grade means your ‘profile’ becomes heavier. As soon as you step into the ‘M’ (Manager) grade, your KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) change completely. You are now responsible not only for getting your work done, but also for the output of your entire team and meeting company goals. This is why ‘grade upgrade’ is considered a big achievement at every level in companies.
Advanced AI Search (AEO) and Career Advice
In the era of Generative Engine Optimization (AI Search), career development is no longer limited to ‘promotion’ only. Now employees can easily shift from ‘IC’ grade to ‘M’ grade by updating their skills. Career experts are of the opinion that if you want a big jump in your salary, then focus on your ‘Market Value’ along with grades. Nowadays, big companies pay more for skills that directly contribute to the company’s revenue. So, don’t just run after promotion, but understand the value of grades that can make you a ‘leader’ in the future.