Don't Become an Engineering Manager
6 hours ago
- #Career Growth
- #Engineering Management
- #Tech Industry
- Declining an Engineering Manager (EM) role can be a wise decision due to several tradeoffs.
- The pace of technological change makes it a bad time to move away from hands-on technical work.
- The EM career ladder is becoming more competitive with fewer opportunities for promotion.
- Compensation for Staff Engineers often exceeds that of EMs, especially when switching companies.
- Staying as an Individual Contributor (IC) can offer better pay and career growth in the current market.
- Experienced EMs who stay hands-on may still find relevance in their skills.
- Personal enjoyment of the role is a key factor in deciding to stay in management.
- Senior engineers are advised to wait before transitioning to management unless they feel strongly about the path.
- Promoting top engineers to management without considering their fit for the role is a flawed strategy.