Ask HN: Senior Software Engineer to Engineering Manager

A friend at FANG who moved from IC to management describes it as a relaxed and easy cushy job compared to being an engineer and doing real work.

I'm sorry that happened to you but I agree that it's a lesson that's good to share here. I always try to ask my reports what they want to do/what changes they would like to make because I understand that a lot of people assume that I'm somehow going to know. I can't read minds!

That doesn't mean that if you tell me you want to be a manager and there aren't any positions available that I'll start thinking about firing you (I really believe some people think this). It means I'll add it to the list of options available to you so, e.g., if a small leadership role becomes available, now you're a potential candidate.

In general this transition is easier within the same company. Management is a different path/career. It mostly requires different skills than your IC skills. This makes it difficult for you to convince another company that doesn't know you that you have what it takes to become a good manager. It's not impossible. It's just more difficult.

In an ideal world, accumulating more leadership responsibilities in your current company is a smoother way to get to management. This usually means something like IC -> team lead -> eng. manager.

Bear in mind that different companies may have different set of expectations from their eng. manager when it comes to technical knowledge or being hands on. This is also influenced by the size of the company and where it's at in its growth. It's no surprise that at startups an eng. manager may end up being (much) more hands-on.

I believe it's extremely difficult to be a great IC and great eng. manager at the same time. As they require different sets of skills, it must be extremely difficult to develop both sides equally. Where I work we want our eng. managers to be people managers. Their teams have Tech Leads that Eng. Managers can rely on for technical parts.

Hah! I would argue that your friend is either extremely fortunate to be naturally gifted to work with people, or (the way more likely option) they don't have enough knowledge and experience to know that they're not being a good manager.

Being a good manager is generally not an easier position. It's a different way of solving mostly different problems. That's why it requires a different set of skills.

Devil's Advocate: If the consensus holds that staying internal is that much better than switching jobs, to the point that it makes no sense to take the risk, then you, being known to your employer to be interested in making a move, are now vulnerable to exploitation by your employer.

Figuratively, The Move has become a dangling carrot that they know you will follow thru happily just for a bite.

Not saying this will 100% (or any% really) happen --- elusive as they seem, decent middle-upper management do exist --- even then, you would be in no position to refuse tasks that would only serve to distract you from your goals. Also, your employer's time frame in mind for you might be e.g. 5+ years, and they may or may not communicate this expectation honestly to you.

Having both 1st/2nd-hand experiences of dangling-carrot-equivalent events, I must say that it's very important to be comfortable figuring out what is the actual expectation from the above, and have actionable plans. It is awkward, but at the end of the day you have to know better to avoid getting distracted.