Considering moving from Software Development to Technical Management role

[Scougar]

Guess I'm just writing this because I'm nervous.

I've been a software developer for around 20 to 22 years (wowzers.... seems crazy), and I'm about to interview for my technical managers position. I'm in Authentication realm, and know it pretty well, having developed the system... but still... managements a whole new ball game. Suddenly being the manager of highly respected developers and team members will be foreign to me.

I have limited management experience. My biggest management style role previously was being a supervisor for an international/national trucking company for the drivers. Not really management, just keeping them moving and dealing with everything they needed. I was pretty young back then.

1) Even if I manage to get the green light, it has to be worth it financially. There is a higher salary ceiling, but I'm already pretty high as a developer. It would need to be at least $10K more a year, but given my limited experience in management... we will see.

2) I'm concerned that if I do step away and in the end decide I don't like it (or perform badly eek!), I'll have eroded my dev skill set.

3) I am hesitant. I don't feel I'm a natural leader.
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I have to get the green light from three managers. I have one already, I just need the other two.

 

[Scougar]

Good advice. Thank you.

I have in the past watched people progress to management, then act like they are clueless about development after. Just ridiculous.

Anyway, I'm not infallible at all. I have a ton of faults. A hate of paperwork amongst them LOL. (Admin work bores me to death and I become distracted easily. This is a real concern of mine that I will have to overcome in order to be successful.

I look at it as, if they aren't going to make me a senior dev, then I will go up the chain another way. I'm old enough that I am looking for the cash to get my kid though college in a few years etc.

(a senior dev is ironically what I was employed as but due to a paperwork screw up on the companies part, that somehow got messed up. Basically the position was a dev, but their offer was senior dev but they recorded it as just a dev in the system. To say I was ****** is an understatement, but I had no evidence as it was almost 2 years in later before that came to light).

 

[Scougar]

Not being even a Senior developer with 20+ years experience is a bit odd? Even if you totally eschew any and all management, leadership etc.....to not be on senior with that many years exp is very strange.

But still, management is either something you like, or don't. I personally love it, although I'm actually in a principal role at the moment which doesn't involve any people management, but lots of technical management. I've done many years in people management roles, and never felt the responsibility onerous or draining.

Sounds like you suffer from some imposter syndrome tbh. Try and ditch that mindset. Good, experienced developers should be making hay while the sun shines in the current market. With 20+ years experience you could be applying for director level roles.

I worked for the government the first half in the UK, then moved to the USA. Both of those positions silo'd me, until my latest job. And yes, I suppose I do suffer from that mindset. Good call-out. I have got a lot better, and I am respected now in my current position.

I am not a guy that spends his time reading development books in his spare time being frank. Maybe I should, but I like my personal time, and work encroaches on that quite a lot already.

 

[Scougar]

My team right now is actually winding down from heavy development to more of a front end code base, with back end pre-coded stuff (off the shelf product with configuration), so there is so much less for me to do as a coder.

I have a 'discussion' today about the position with the 2nd boss (out of 3). See how that goes. Whatever it is, I need to start getting back on-board with learning and figuring out my path, as it's a little murky right now.

Edit: had a good discussion about the role with my manager two levels up, and I don't think it's right for me just now. It's much more of HR/planning than the technical lead role I thought it was. He wasn't trying to put me off, he actually has me on a path to take over the senior dev role on this team, once the senior dev retires (which could be anywhere from now, till 2 years (urgh) Instead, I'm going to be talking to other teams, about devsecops and SRE roles instead, and see what other opportunities that will challenge me exist. I thrive in challenges, not in the status quo roles.