Archive · 30 Dec 2025
Former Meta Engineer Advises Against Promotion Focus
Rong Yan, who used to work at big tech companies like Meta, says people should not make getting promotions their main goal at work.
He thinks focusing too much on titles can make you stressed and unhappy.
Instead, he advises people to focus on learning new skills and doing good work.
He says that if you do that, promotions will come naturally without causing stress.
Yan has worked at many famous companies and has a lot of experience.
He believes that being happy and successful at work comes from learning and making a difference, not just from getting a bigger title.
Rong Yan, CTO at HeyGen, advises against making promotions the primary career goal.
Focusing on titles can make career growth stressful and painful.
Yan's career includes roles at IBM, Meta, Square, Snapchat, and HubSpot.
He emphasizes skill development, continuous learning, and meaningful contributions.
Viewing careers as long-term journeys can lead to satisfaction and advancement.
- Who
- Rong Yan, former Meta engineer and current CTO at HeyGen
- What
- Advice against focusing on promotions for career growth
- When
- Recent interview on The Peterman Pod
- Where
- Discussed in a podcast interview
- Why
- To reduce stress and focus on skill development and meaningful work
- Name
- Rong Yan
- Current Position
- Chief Technology Officer at HeyGen
- Education
- Ph.D. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University
- Previous Companies
- IBM, Meta, Square, Snapchat, HubSpot
- Advice
- Focus on learning and meaningful work, not promotions
- Podcast
- The Peterman Pod
- Year Joined HeyGen
- 2024