Easiest way to become a manager is to work somewhere that is growing rapidly. If you do a good job and lead projects, as well as work with your manager closely on it as a goal and please key stakeholders, then you should be able to take a new EM role when it opens up. It’s even easier if the team you’re working on as an IC grows enough to split (usually ~8 eng).
Just make sure you’re very explicit about this goal when interviewing / in your 1:1s. The reality is that the ratio of eng to manager means there are just less positions available. So you want to make sure you’re not wasting your time interviewing / working somewhere that just isn’t going to have the opportunity for you.
Comments
Easiest way to become a manager is to work somewhere that is growing rapidly. If you do a good job and lead projects, as well as work with your manager closely on it as a goal and please key stakeholders, then you should be able to take a new EM role when it opens up. It’s even easier if the team you’re working on as an IC grows enough to split (usually ~8 eng).
Just make sure you’re very explicit about this goal when interviewing / in your 1:1s. The reality is that the ratio of eng to manager means there are just less positions available. So you want to make sure you’re not wasting your time interviewing / working somewhere that just isn’t going to have the opportunity for you.