Engineer to Manager
I'm wondering if any other engineers out there have had a difficult time going from a senior level programming position into more of a management role? I am currently a Senior Software Engineer, as my blog title illustrates, and have been for about 5 years now. I'm pretty much the acting architect and "unofficial" team lead at my company, which is about 40 people in size. But what I've found difficult, especially being at such a small company, is making it to the next step.
What is the next step? That's also a big question. I always thought I wanted to go the more technical track of becoming an architect, but that is pretty limiting. There's only so high up you can go and still stay technically focused. Most CTO's and CIO's seem to deal more with people and long term strategy than actual technical details. So at some point, one has to become a manager, or at least learn the more "soft" skills like how to motivate others, how to be a leader not just a manager, and so on.
The difficulty lies in how does a life-long, self proclaimed geek make it to the next level? While it is true, and has been very helpful, that I have a background in business. The degree I hold is a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration, not in Computer Science. But I haven't exercised much of my business skills in such a long time I hope that I still retain some of what I learned. But still, they don't really teach these skills in business school, I guess except in MBA programs, but even that I'm not certain of.
So where is an engineer to turn to "learn" how to move to the next step in their career where they essentially have to be less of an engineer? Is there even a place you can go to learn this sort of thing? Anyone out there in the same boat as myself and can shed some light on this? I'm currently waiting for a possible promotion, that may never come. It may be time to for a change...
Here are a couple links that I've found to be very helpful for me so far:
Joel on Software
ComputerWorld article about making it to the CTO position
Becoming a Manager article
What is the next step? That's also a big question. I always thought I wanted to go the more technical track of becoming an architect, but that is pretty limiting. There's only so high up you can go and still stay technically focused. Most CTO's and CIO's seem to deal more with people and long term strategy than actual technical details. So at some point, one has to become a manager, or at least learn the more "soft" skills like how to motivate others, how to be a leader not just a manager, and so on.
The difficulty lies in how does a life-long, self proclaimed geek make it to the next level? While it is true, and has been very helpful, that I have a background in business. The degree I hold is a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration, not in Computer Science. But I haven't exercised much of my business skills in such a long time I hope that I still retain some of what I learned. But still, they don't really teach these skills in business school, I guess except in MBA programs, but even that I'm not certain of.
So where is an engineer to turn to "learn" how to move to the next step in their career where they essentially have to be less of an engineer? Is there even a place you can go to learn this sort of thing? Anyone out there in the same boat as myself and can shed some light on this? I'm currently waiting for a possible promotion, that may never come. It may be time to for a change...
Here are a couple links that I've found to be very helpful for me so far:
Joel on Software
ComputerWorld article about making it to the CTO position
Becoming a Manager article
3 Comments:
Same questions I ask myself everyday. Good links, I'll be back ;-) I'm in the office and like good software engineer, I don't have time for much else than work. Bah!
By Riri, at 11/17/2004 12:19 PM
People get promoted to their level of incompetency. To be a manager in most firms, a frontal lobotomy is required before you stand a chance. Having any technical skills is a bad sign, being a good programmer is definately not a good plan for wannabe managers.
Practice bullying people, inflate your ego dramatically and make sure you keep upto date with buzz-words, but its important you dont really understand what any of them really mean. Brush up on practical jokes and devious ways to make your future staff feel low and depressed, then practise the art of lying. Only then can you truly become a manager in todays IT industry.
At least thats what I noticed in my last job at a major accountancy software firm. Thank god I was not a manager, I want to sell my soul on ebay, not at work!
By Anonymous, at 11/17/2004 5:24 PM
Sounds like very sage advice that :)
By Anonymous, at 11/17/2004 5:26 PM
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