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Is there anything wrong with a career like this, especially in Engineering and Tech?
You have zero interest in managing other people, but instead, you want to learn the latest technologies and to work with them. It's also your dream to build the best and baddest technological tools like programs, algorithms, etc. but you have zero interest in the bottom line of the businesses that use these technologies. You will still implement these technologies to the likings of these businesses and industries but you're have zero attachment to any particular industry (i.e. financial, energy, media, agriculture, etc.)
Why even ask this question? You already know the answer. You get to have whatever career you want.
For some people in certain companies, moving into management short term is a strategic move. They don't care about being a manager. It just helps to build their resume. They manage for a couple of years and then take a job as an individual contributor, but now at a higher level and higher salary. You've got to consider the long game.
But ultimately in order to maintain longevity in tech you'll need to move into management. Age discrimination sets in quickly. And you won't be able to put in 80 hour minimum work weeks forever.
Nothing wrong with it .. But most companies have adopted the "up or out mentality". Which in other words its either "up to management level or out the door". These days it seems the non-management positions are actually the first to get cut.
Yes it sucks sadly but its the reality in most places today. More of those "senior technical positions" are going away and companies are now becoming layers and layers of useless management. there SHOULD be other avenues to take in theory but there isn't much today. Not everyone is cut out for management, nor should there be sooo many layers of management and companies so "top heavy" now.
What we have no at many companies is hosts of different managers and not many workers.
Why we need hundreds of layers of senseless management positions and a limited workforce? Who knows..
In my field of IT consulting there are people making IT director money working 3-4 days a week and just 6 hours a day. You always have to learn new tech and you only manage your time and companies pay you for your cutting edge expertise.
Many of these IT pros live in cheap no state tax states and fly across the country during the work week and return home on Fridays.
If that's your cup of tea then plenty of people who get big exclusive contracts can handle 2-3 clients a week and make only $200-300k a year.
And just to clarify, I don't mind leading a small team of Engineers who assist me in building better and badder stuff but I don't wish to move up to a management position where the main focus is on dealing with people rather than technology directly.
This is something that seriously worries me. I am not management material. I really am worried about what career options I have available to me once I get to the point where management is expected of me. Unfortunately, as others said, employers only want very young employees in technical roles. Even if I was willing to take a pay cut down to their salary, such an option would not be made available to me.
There's nothing wrong with it as long as you continue to be an asset in the organization's eyes. I've worked at plenty of places where you aren't "required" to advance. Even in traditionally up and out organizations like consulting firms. You have the option of becoming a functional expert or SME. The key there is that you have a skill that is extremely hard to replace.
Working in IT, there is a difference between a Windows Sys Admin that wants to do this (but still want salary increases year over year) vs. an exploit developer that is producing different codes constantly. I can replace the sys admin in a blink of an eye....
There's nothing wrong with it as long as you continue to be an asset in the organization's eyes. I've worked at plenty of places where you aren't "required" to advance. Even in traditionally up and out organizations like consulting firms. You have the option of becoming a functional expert or SME. The key there is that you have a skill that is extremely hard to replace.
Working in IT, there is a difference between a Windows Sys Admin that wants to do this (but still want salary increases year over year) vs. an exploit developer that is producing different codes constantly. I can replace the sys admin in a blink of an eye....
The problem is, very few people are going to have a skill that can't easily be replaced. And, even if we develop such a skill, we are expected to teach it to younger, lower paid employees.
Is there anything wrong with a career like this, especially in Engineering and Tech?
You have zero interest in managing other people, but instead, you want to learn the latest technologies and to work with them. It's also your dream to build the best and baddest technological tools like programs, algorithms, etc. but you have zero interest in the bottom line of the businesses that use these technologies. You will still implement these technologies to the likings of these businesses and industries but you're have zero attachment to any particular industry (i.e. financial, energy, media, agriculture, etc.)
I think this early retired engineer made a case for why engineers should save a lot and retire early:
He also mentioned one of the reasons why the early retirement crowd is chock full of engineers / computer programmers is because most of them don't like management type jobs (and they seem to be good at saving money compared to people from other professions):
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