[harperlee]

As a manager, I recommend everyone to internalise this idea from the parent post: sometimes the quickest career, and being promoted earlier, might not the best path long term.

The "first impression" that the parent created is a powerful image that can burn in the brain of the surrounding people and follow him throughout his career, in exchange for perhaps 1 year lag in "official" experience and remuneration during 1 or 2 years early in his career. On the other hand, being promoted too early and fucking up can unfortunately have an analogous effect, and throw a career overboard.

This is not fair, but people's brain work like that.