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Hi all,
I'm a engineer with 19yrs experience and up until very recently, my job has been primarily engineering, project management, maintenance - hard technical stuff with people management thrown in (but always managing engineers)
My boss spoke to me recently about my future in the organisation and how he'd like to see me progress. But this would involve my getting involved with a) non-engineering roles and b) politics at a level I'm really not comfortable with.
I'm wondering has anyone else from a hard technical background made the move to a more corporate role and how did they manage it/cope?
Thanks!
I can’t speak specifically about the move in the field of engineering; however, I’d spend some time thinking about what brings you joy. I have watched many people move into management from technical roles and then either not like it or not excel at it. They are very different roles. The money and prestige are not worth the promotion if it moves you away from what you enjoy. There are many places that need very well compensated senior level engineers who are technical experts. If your role does not value the technical expertise in its own right you can find a job in an org that will.
Galros - I like what Susan said and the questions she posed.
I would add that if you are considering it, find out what type of training is available. Does your organization have a leadership development process that gives you the skills you need as you progress from technical into more strategic roles like this? If they don't will they be willing to send you to a program outside the organization?
The biggest hurdle I see happen in most organizations is that they promote the best ______ (fill in the blank - engineer, operator, salesperson) but don't give them any training.
Good luck with your decision.
I think for hard tech folks - if you aren’t comfortable you need to share that. Not everyone who is good in that arena can transition out. Not to say you aren’t capable but it is a different skill set.
Get out of your comfort and go for it, you have offered a opportunity to grow.
Tech/engineering is tough this way. You can stay in comfort zone and not advance beyond managing the first line of engineers, or you can choose to move up which takes you away from direct engineering.
Do you like managing the engineers? Is people management something you want to do at a higher level? Will this give you the opportunity to contribute to the decisions that impact engineers (e.g. product, design, equipment) that you currently may be excluded from? Would you like to be involved in higher level decisions?
It sounds like you are talented and appreciated by your boss, but you don't have to make this move unless it's what you want. But it likely does mean that you're career will be stagnated at the current level.
A few more questions- what do you know of the politics? Is it complicated at your organization? Or are you making assumptions that need to be tested?
If you do just prefer to keep your head down and do engineering let your boss know you appreciate his confidence in you, but you really want to stay in engineering. It's AOK. What will make you happiest?
Spot on with this advice and the questions. Just because your boss wants you to move up, doesn’t mean you have to. It’s a great opportunity and you should consider it, but don’t feel pressured.
Thanks a million for that reply, Susan. Because of a major investment project I'm going to be running for the site, I'm getting involved in a small way with the politics. It's a multinational organisation, so I'm now dealing with people from the CEO down, which on the one hand is brilliant for exposure etc but on the other hand is proving difficult for me because I'm way out of my comfort zone. And yes, I have been pushing myself out of my comfort zone for a while now, but I'm wondering if I need to stay somewhere relatively comfortable for a bit to stabilise, if you know what I mean?
Even at the level I'm at, I'm the most senior engineer on site, so I'm involved in the those decisions anyway, but it's with people I know and work with pretty much daily. So it's grand. It's now the movement outside of that zone that's a bit more of a stretch.
I'm at the point where if I want to progress further, I have to be able to deal with this, but it's whether I want to do that now or not.
As for happiest - well machines are easy, I've always said that, people are difficult. I really enjoy managing my engineers most of the time and I'm getting better at the stakeholder management bit among my colleagues and peers on site. I'm less good at the off site stuff...
It's not a decision I need to make right now, but it is a decision I need to be preparing for within 2yrs (when this major project is over) and if I decided I want to go the general route rather than staying with engineering, I need to spend time working on different parts of this project to get that experience and exposure.
Thank for that answer, it's helped me ask some more questions in my head!!
Glad to help, and really glad you will spend time working on the different parts so that you can assess if this is right for you. And so glad you have some time to process the decision! Good luck.