I can't really speak from an engineer's perspective but I might add my spin on it.
I used to be a technical writer and then started to lead a team of technical writers. After leading my team for 8 years, I turned back to being a "regular" technical writer at another company 6 months ago.
The transition wasn't particularly hard for me for one simple reason. I was always a hands-on, get-your-hands-dirty type of manager. I think that is the key to transitioning back rather smoothly. Although I still had to get used to working exclusively operatively.
Without practice, your skills obviously will get rusty. Especially in our tech world, new technologies pop up too quickly to be able to keep up if you don't practice your skills regularly.
A bit off-topic, but I try to use the knowledge I gained to help others succeed in tech, especially those of us who don't have a computer science degree.
I see so much potential for language-based specialists. The software industry truly is amazing and offers so many opportunities.
"We know that, in most cases, the Engineering Manager role is quite different from that of a Software Engineer—primarily because as an EM, you don’t code anymore."
Especially the part about "you don’t code anymore," which can be both true and false at the same time.
I'm bringing this up because it totally depends on the company you're joining. At my workplace, the Engineering Manager has to be hands-on. We firmly believe that a captain who can't sail won't be able to guide the sailors. Whenever I'm interviewing or applying for a job, I always make sure to highlight that I'm a hands-on manager. 😊.
Honestly, staying involved in development has helped me avoid burnout, haha.
So it's worth considering that instead of switching back to being a Software Engineer, you could look for a job that offers a better balance that suits you.
I can see where the fear comes from. I’ve seen multiple cases where people are questioned their ability when they move back to the IC path from the management path. I would suggest people make this decision in a safer environment where this kind of transition is normalized.
But I think having that management experience makes people better developers. They will know what the managers want because they have the same experience!
Thank you Rafa for giving me the opportunity to write at your home!
Hope people find value in today's reading!
Anyone with questions? I'm here to help you folks 😉
Thanks Marcos! It's an excellent post and I'm pretty sure many resonate!
I can't really speak from an engineer's perspective but I might add my spin on it.
I used to be a technical writer and then started to lead a team of technical writers. After leading my team for 8 years, I turned back to being a "regular" technical writer at another company 6 months ago.
The transition wasn't particularly hard for me for one simple reason. I was always a hands-on, get-your-hands-dirty type of manager. I think that is the key to transitioning back rather smoothly. Although I still had to get used to working exclusively operatively.
Without practice, your skills obviously will get rusty. Especially in our tech world, new technologies pop up too quickly to be able to keep up if you don't practice your skills regularly.
Thanks Andreas for sharing your valuable experience!!
Many people will find this real-life experience really interesting and motivating!
Thank you for the feedback!I do hope so. 😊
A bit off-topic, but I try to use the knowledge I gained to help others succeed in tech, especially those of us who don't have a computer science degree.
I see so much potential for language-based specialists. The software industry truly is amazing and offers so many opportunities.
Hey Rafa, how are you doing?
I think there's something a bit misleading here:
"We know that, in most cases, the Engineering Manager role is quite different from that of a Software Engineer—primarily because as an EM, you don’t code anymore."
Especially the part about "you don’t code anymore," which can be both true and false at the same time.
I'm bringing this up because it totally depends on the company you're joining. At my workplace, the Engineering Manager has to be hands-on. We firmly believe that a captain who can't sail won't be able to guide the sailors. Whenever I'm interviewing or applying for a job, I always make sure to highlight that I'm a hands-on manager. 😊.
Honestly, staying involved in development has helped me avoid burnout, haha.
So it's worth considering that instead of switching back to being a Software Engineer, you could look for a job that offers a better balance that suits you.
Great article btw =)
You are right Douglas, it totally depends on the context of the company.
In this case, the "captain" was on the Tech Lead shoulders and the Engineering Manager was not expected to code.
From my personal experience, it depends the size of the company and it's culture.
Thanks for sharing your view!
Thanks for sharing the story!
I can see where the fear comes from. I’ve seen multiple cases where people are questioned their ability when they move back to the IC path from the management path. I would suggest people make this decision in a safer environment where this kind of transition is normalized.
But I think having that management experience makes people better developers. They will know what the managers want because they have the same experience!
That's a great advice Adler! Thanks for sharing!