Currently applying to Airbnb and a couple other places and wanted to apply for the engineering manager positions. Issue is I haven't officially been a manager before. But from the job description I have experience pretty much done everything they listed in job posting. Should I even bother applying? Of just apply to the ic roles?
Yes if you are principal lvl.
if you’ve done the duties being asked for in the position, just embellish your resume a little
Being people's manager isn't an easy job and switching to a role like that in a different company won't set you up for success. You should figure out how to get promoted in your current job and if you are being told you are not ready, ask why and what you need to work on.
Try it, you have nothing to lose