In Big5: Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon and Facebook, the software engineers are assigned a level so that they can work hard, and be promoted into next levels in the career ladder.

See this from levels.fyi

The Terminal Level means that you can stay in that level comfortably if you enjoy doing so. You don’t get fired if you can’t achieve to next levels.

However, some entry levels such as E3 in Facebook and L4 (SDE I) in Amazon, if you can’t progress to next levels within 2 years (or 18 months), it means you are not good enough and you will likely be dismissed for low performance. In Amazon, they will PIP you out (Performance Improvement Plan).

The SDE II (Level 5) in Amazon, or E5 in Facebook are good (terminal level) for engineers who do their job but don’t like being a team lead – or mentoring other junior SDEs. It really depends, some people enjoy but others don’t.

Your line-managers will usually talk about the Personal Career Development (or Your Ambitions to Career Development) in your weekly 1-to-1 meetings or the annual performance review meeting. In Big IT/internet companies it usually requires filling quite many big forms in order to get promoted to next levels.

What is your career level?

–EOF (The Ultimate Computing & Technology Blog) —

推荐阅读：
冬至时节常吃6种传统食物可补阳防寒　 南方黑芝麻糊大肠菌群超标 5批次产品不合格　 烹饪技巧之烹调鸡蛋过程中的常见错误　 全新认识冬季当家菜大白菜的营养价值　 那些被人们误传的补充某种营养的食物　 阿胶产品乱象：原料中被混入骡皮马皮　 时令水果橘子橙子柚子营养价值大比拼　 中医食疗：滋阴固肾的6款经典补粥　 美味鸭肉的保健功效与养生食用方法　 让枸杞中的营养成分吸收更好的吃法