Hi all,
At a bit of a crossroads.
Background: I work in a Semiconductor Engineering hardware team.
The LM hierarchy in my company is divided by discipline, but the teams you work in are mixed discipline. Annual review etc. is done in your LM hierarchy but your day-to-day working is with your mixed discipline team.
We are broken into teams around large components of the overall design ~30 engineers of mixed discipline. Each of those teams works on multiple projects in parallel, you have leads within your team per project overseeing 5-15 engineers (varies at different stages of the project). And you then report into the lead of the whole team. I've been a project lead before, enjoyed it, got really good feedback, and I’ll be doing it again on the next project (if I don’t take this role). You get to do probably 50:50 technical vs schedule/estimating/leading the team/reporting/talking to stakeholders etc.
My team lead has said he's been offered another role and I am his first choice to replace him. He took the job ~18 months ago, and I said at the time "2 years down the line, I'd have wanted to apply for the role". Well it's not quite 2 years but the opportunity is here. It's not a case of me saying "I'll take it", more me saying "I'd like to be considered", and then he'd recommend me as his first choice. It's not a guarantee I'll get it but obviously that has some sway.
But really I'm not sure if I want it now, the split is much more leading, you probably get <10% of the time doing technical work. As well I'm really anxious about the dynamic within the team. I have a really good relationship with everyone in the team and am sought after for my knowledge/technical expertise as I've been in the team 5 years+, and I'm good at mentoring junior engineers as well as turning around prototypes fast to support other engineers. I never felt stressed out as the project lead, most people burn out doing it, but I found it 'fine'. I'm worried about dealing with the more difficult characters in the team, as well as having to be the guy who tells people sometimes they have to do things they don't like. As well I'm a fair bit younger than some of the people in the team and I'm worried about how they would think of me, especially when I make decisions they don't agree with. But I suppose if you go into leadership roles you have to go grow a thick skin and blank those out.
In terms of progression, if I do well in the role it's an easy path to promotion, but my company is good and it's not like I'm at a dead end if I want to stay technical.
Oh yeah and it’ll also mean line managing 6+ engineers.
Just after some thoughts from others who have been in similar positions and taken the leap, did you regret it?
At a bit of a crossroads.
Background: I work in a Semiconductor Engineering hardware team.
The LM hierarchy in my company is divided by discipline, but the teams you work in are mixed discipline. Annual review etc. is done in your LM hierarchy but your day-to-day working is with your mixed discipline team.
We are broken into teams around large components of the overall design ~30 engineers of mixed discipline. Each of those teams works on multiple projects in parallel, you have leads within your team per project overseeing 5-15 engineers (varies at different stages of the project). And you then report into the lead of the whole team. I've been a project lead before, enjoyed it, got really good feedback, and I’ll be doing it again on the next project (if I don’t take this role). You get to do probably 50:50 technical vs schedule/estimating/leading the team/reporting/talking to stakeholders etc.
My team lead has said he's been offered another role and I am his first choice to replace him. He took the job ~18 months ago, and I said at the time "2 years down the line, I'd have wanted to apply for the role". Well it's not quite 2 years but the opportunity is here. It's not a case of me saying "I'll take it", more me saying "I'd like to be considered", and then he'd recommend me as his first choice. It's not a guarantee I'll get it but obviously that has some sway.
But really I'm not sure if I want it now, the split is much more leading, you probably get <10% of the time doing technical work. As well I'm really anxious about the dynamic within the team. I have a really good relationship with everyone in the team and am sought after for my knowledge/technical expertise as I've been in the team 5 years+, and I'm good at mentoring junior engineers as well as turning around prototypes fast to support other engineers. I never felt stressed out as the project lead, most people burn out doing it, but I found it 'fine'. I'm worried about dealing with the more difficult characters in the team, as well as having to be the guy who tells people sometimes they have to do things they don't like. As well I'm a fair bit younger than some of the people in the team and I'm worried about how they would think of me, especially when I make decisions they don't agree with. But I suppose if you go into leadership roles you have to go grow a thick skin and blank those out.
In terms of progression, if I do well in the role it's an easy path to promotion, but my company is good and it's not like I'm at a dead end if I want to stay technical.
Oh yeah and it’ll also mean line managing 6+ engineers.
Just after some thoughts from others who have been in similar positions and taken the leap, did you regret it?
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