Techie vs manager

I'm currently working as a project manager but now my daily tasks are: follow up this and that, prepare the projects that my team needs to implement during 2011, mentoring and support the other engineers but as a manager not as an engineer.

I don't know if i can live without implementation, troubleshooting, configuration or sw development.
I'm doing my best because i'm sure i can get the PMP cert with this position.

I do like management but i'm so used to work in: net admin role, developer or consultant.

I love and enjoy working onsite(hands on) developing software, configuring, troubleshooting and this position really makes feel boring. It's interesting but boring.

I know the best for me and my family is to stick to the job and try to get higher management position in the future(if possible).

I feel very lucky because i'm 24yrs old and i have worked with a cisco partner, also as sys admin in a large company, a little of programming and now for a big vendor.
I don't want to waste this chance but i don't if this is something i can do for a long time. Probably i just need time to get used to this role.
I feel like I have been very lucky in the opportunities I have had. I think if i quit or look for another job i could be wasting a life chance.

How was for you guys the gap between technical role and becoming a manager?

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Comments

stuh84

I've not done management style roles so I can't fully comment on this, but every person I know who started a techie and became a manager always seems to try and worm their way into getting technically involved somehow. Unfortunately over time, they get so out of touch with the tech that in what seems like a short space of time, they get left behind.

I guess it would depend on what you want out of life, is it the authority, the position, the money, or the love of tech? For me its about 75% love of tech, 25% the money, so I don't think I could ever do management personally.

N2IT

stuh84 wrote: »

I've not done management style roles so I can't fully comment on this, but every person I know who started a techie and became a manager always seems to try and worm their way into getting technically involved somehow. Unfortunately over time, they get so out of touch with the tech that in what seems like a short space of time, they get left behind.

I guess it would depend on what you want out of life, is it the authority, the position, the money, or the love of tech? For me its about 75% love of tech, 25% the money, so I don't think I could ever do management personally.

+1

Once you get management that is it.

There are always exceptions to the rule, but all the managers I have worked with had this happen to them. They know the technology at a high level, but nothing like they use to.

Rule of thumb, if you are not working with a technology for over 6 months you have become obsolete in that technology.

networker050184

chmod wrote: »

I know the best for me and my family is to stick to the job and try to get higher management position in the future(if possible).

I think finding a career you love is a lot more important to your families long term happiness. If that's being a manager great, but if not you will be unhappy.

chmod

So far is not that bad.

First day i had a hard time because i am used to do(hands on) and not that much to only tell the others what to do.

We were working with a customer to finish a big installation i had to make sure to fulfill the deadline.
The onsite engineers were struggling with some trunk configuration and numbering plan i got so desperate that i connected to the equipments and troubleshoot until it was fixed then next day my boss scheduled a meeting to basically let me know that he was happy because i helped onsite but he does not want to see me doing that.

I still think that i'm working onsite and during the meetings i'm still very technical.

I need to improve my time management skills but i have learned many thing about how to handle a project.

I talked to a very experienced engineer about this he told me about his specific situation he also had a hard time during his transition.

What i really try to avoid is to implement stupid processes that affect onsite engineer(less bureaucracy).

Turgon

chmod wrote: »

I'm currently working as a project manager but now my daily tasks are: follow up this and that, prepare the projects that my team needs to implement during 2011, mentoring and support the other engineers but as a manager not as an engineer.

I don't know if i can live without implementation, troubleshooting, configuration or sw development.
I'm doing my best because i'm sure i can get the PMP cert with this position.

I do like management but i'm so used to work in: net admin role, developer or consultant.

I love and enjoy working onsite(hands on) developing software, configuring, troubleshooting and this position really makes feel boring. It's interesting but boring.

I know the best for me and my family is to stick to the job and try to get higher management position in the future(if possible).

I feel very lucky because i'm 24yrs old and i have worked with a cisco partner, also as sys admin in a large company, a little of programming and now for a big vendor.
I don't want to waste this chance but i don't if this is something i can do for a long time. Probably i just need time to get used to this role.
I feel like I have been very lucky in the opportunities I have had. I think if i quit or look for another job i could be wasting a life chance.

How was for you guys the gap between technical role and becoming a manager?

For me a good officer has served his time in the trenches. That means hands on support/operations experience before making the move up. From there you either move into management or more senior technical roles in operations and ultimately design and architecture. For me I prefer the Architect space. It affords me lots of opportunity to lead and manage things, drive and contribute to projects, and work with the best engineers to accomplish complex technical design and technical migration work. That is a challenge in itself as you have to keep up with people who are in less meetings and 100% on config. Working in that space prevents me from having a technical lobotomy, in fact it encourages me to learn more about technology from a capacity and a commercial perspective as opposed to a purely capability perspective.

Turgon

chmod wrote: »

So far is not that bad.

First day i had a hard time because i am used to do(hands on) and not that much to only tell the others what to do.

We were working with a customer to finish a big installation i had to make sure to fulfill the deadline.
The onsite engineers were struggling with some trunk configuration and numbering plan i got so desperate that i connected to the equipments and troubleshoot until it was fixed then next day my boss scheduled a meeting to basically let me know that he was happy because i helped onsite but he does not want to see me doing that.

I still think that i'm working onsite and during the meetings i'm still very technical.

I need to improve my time management skills but i have learned many thing about how to handle a project.

I talked to a very experienced engineer about this he told me about his specific situation he also had a hard time during his transition.

What i really try to avoid is to implement stupid processes that affect onsite engineer(less bureaucracy).

Get the guys to produce documented designs and configurations that you will have to approve. It's not hands on but it will keep you technical. You cannot approve properly what you do not understand.