Engineer to Management
Engineer to Management
(OP)
I have been currently working as an Engineer for three years and think in the next 25 years of my life I would like to go into management. However, I love my role as an entry-level Power Electronics Engineer and eventually would like to remain technical. I would like to know if there is any one out there who have come across such a decision to stay in the technical path versus management path?





RE: Engineer to Management
RE: Engineer to Management
Regards,
Mike
RE: Engineer to Management
We actually have had a couple of 'Engineer Fellows' or something like that who were on VP level but again with minimal management responsibility, however they both left and weren't replaced.
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Engineer to Management
RE: Engineer to Management
i "went over" 'cause our mgmt were typical ... good engineers promoted into being lousy managers. i could see that mgmt was an important part of the overall job, and thought i'd try to improve the standard. didn't like the politics, didn't like having to represent a mgmt i didn't believe in (we were absorbed "resistance is futile" and the senior aerospace c/- was right, even when they weren't, and we were wrong and all the engineering was going over to the senior partner). fortunately i had an outlet that didn't involve bringing guns to work and i was punted several years back and went back to the technical (contractor) role and have been happier since.
just my 2c
RE: Engineer to Management
As my career progressed, I ran into more politics as a technical resource and a management type. It all depends on the company and the caliber of people they hire as to the degree and nastiness of the politics practiced. I told my subordinates to take the high road every time and not get into the gutter of bad politics. We had projects to get out of our department and that was our only responsibility. If we could not get cooperation out of other departments because of a few people, then we would run it up to the next manager.
RE: Engineer to Management
You won't need to worry about it, if you can ask a dopey question like that then you are obviously born for one of the two alternatives.
Cheers
Greg Locock
New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?
RE: Engineer to Management
Management doesn't always mean business development, you can stay technical as a manager with operations type responsibilities without having to sell your services.
Learn about Engineering at
http://www.whatisengineering.net/
RE: Engineer to Management
I'm one of the more senior engineers now so I support my line manager and informally mentor one of the graduate engineers. My company does allow some progression for engineers to stay technical, we do have a few management grade engineers but not sure if they'll be replaced as they leave.
Engineers who move quickly up to managment positions always struggle to get the respect of the other managers (and often other engineers) from what I've seen.
RE: Engineer to Management
RE: Engineer to Management
--Scott
http://www.wertel.pro
RE: Engineer to Management
RE: Engineer to Management
While I have met some folks that kind of fit that mold, and my current place has historically had it's fair share, I'm hesitant to say 'many'.
Now don't get me wrong, I would be tempted to say that many engineers definition of value for money, responsible financial stewardship etc. don't necessarily mesh with the average MBA's
Also, often engineers that do fit the 'I don't care about budget' do it because they are used to management (with the help of sales & marketing) setting unrealistic budgets in the first place.
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Engineer to Management
1) Engineers worry about cost more than budget.
When given the option between A and B, where they are technically equivalent, the engineer will use cost as the deciding factor and choose the less expensive one. When an engineer is faced with the difficult choice of doing it right or doing it right now, the ethical engineer will choose to do it right... budget be damned. Rarely does cost come into the equation until AFTER all of the performance issues have been resolved.
2) Management, especially those without an engineering background, tend to not understand what it takes to get the job done right. Like KENAT said, budgets are proposed by engineers or their technical managers. The next level of management thinks the numbers are too high and slashes them; engineers exceed the new budget and get reprimanded for it. Engineers shuffle it off with an "I told you so" because they are within their original budget. Management gets upset and assumes engineers blew the budget on purpose to prove a point, not because it actually took that long to do the job right. The cycle repeats.
As an engineer turned technical/working manager, I get pulled from both directions.
--Scott
http://www.wertel.pro
RE: Engineer to Management
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Engineer to Management