TL;DR
An engineer recounts leaving YouTube after repeated promotion denials despite doing higher‑level work. The post covers the strain of job hunting while employed, strategies for discussing proprietary work under NDAs, and an interview process that in one case stretched to 13 rounds.
What happened
The author describes a decision to leave YouTube after a third failed promotion attempt from L4 to L5, despite running projects, designing long‑lived systems and being widely regarded as indispensable. Rather than persisting in internal promotion cycles, they pursued a double‑level jump in the market — attempting to move from L4 directly to L6. Job hunting while remaining fully employed proved exhausting: evenings spent prepping, calls taken from the car, using vacation days to interview, and working in coffee shops on a hotspot. NDAs restricted how much product detail could be shared in interviews, so the author developed a practice of abstracting mechanisms and focusing on architectural patterns and scale instead of proprietary metrics. The interview landscape varied; some companies required 5–8 rounds, while one company ran 13 interviews for a single role. The exit conversation with the manager was emotional and supportive; the author framed the move as outgrowing the available space rather than a failing of immediate teammates.
Why it matters
- Leveling decisions and promotion gatekeeping can push experienced contributors out of large organizations.
- Lengthy, consensus‑heavy interview loops may signal internal hiring dysfunction and raise candidate fatigue.
- Working under NDA complicates job searches; candidates must learn to describe impact without revealing proprietary details.
- Job searching while employed carries real cognitive and emotional costs for both employees and their teams.
Key facts
- The author experienced a third denied promotion attempt trying to move from L4 to L5.
- They believed they were operating at a Senior/Staff level while officially at a lower band.
- They pursued a 'double level' jump in interviews, attempting to move from L4 to L6.
- Job‑search tactics while employed included evening study, calls from the car, vacation days for interviews, and tethering to a phone hotspot.
- To avoid NDA violations, the author emphasized engineering principles and system patterns rather than product specifics.
- One company required 13 interviews for a single role; the author viewed 5–8 rounds as a clearer process.
- The exit discussion with the manager was empathetic; the author left despite positive relationships on their team.
- Links mentioned as resources in the original account include levels.fyi, GitHub's Career Ladder, a System Design Primer on GitHub, and an HBR piece on NDAs.
What to watch next
- Whether major tech firms respond to concerns about long interview loops and streamline hiring processes — not confirmed in the source
- Whether organizations change promotion or leveling policies to better retain high‑performing individual contributors — not confirmed in the source
- The author's subsequent career moves and whether the double‑level jump was achieved — not confirmed in the source
Quick glossary
- Leveling: A structured set of job bands (e.g., L3, L4, L5, L6) that indicate seniority, compensation, and scope of responsibility in many tech companies.
- NDA (Non‑Disclosure Agreement): A legal agreement that restricts disclosure of proprietary or confidential information learned while working for an employer.
- Promo cycle: The periodic internal process used by companies to evaluate employees for promotions and level changes.
- System design interview: An interview format that assesses a candidate’s ability to design large‑scale systems, including architecture, trade‑offs, and scalability.
- Double‑level jump: An attempt by an employee to change employers and secure a title two levels above their current band.
Reader FAQ
Why did the author decide to leave YouTube?
They felt their growth had plateaued after repeated denied promotions and chose to test their market value externally.
How did the author handle NDA constraints during interviews?
They abstracted the engineering mechanisms, emphasized architectural patterns and scale, and avoided product‑specific proprietary details.
How long was the interview loop at the most demanding company?
The author reports undergoing 13 interviews for a single role at one company.
Did the manager try to keep the author with a counter‑offer?
Not confirmed in the source.
What resources did the author recommend for career and interview prep?
They mentioned levels.fyi, GitHub’s Career Ladder, a System Design Primer on GitHub, and a Harvard Business Review piece on NDAs.
24 DEC 2025 6 MIN READ How I Left YouTube Me when I first joined Google/YouTube I remember sitting down in a meeting room hearing the results of my third…
Sources
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