Hired as a PM, but bait-and-switched. What to do now?
Background: Joined one of the MAGA companies, last year mid 2019, in a team doing AI/ML tech (think Azure / GCP / AWS). Had just finished my masters degrees at a good school and 3 YoE eng experience before that. It was my first PM job, and I thought I made the right choice (had 5 other PM offers). Situation: Once I joined, instead of being a PM, my manager (head of product) loaned me to a different business team (think sales/GTM). While other PMs in my team were working with core engineering teams to build new features, I was sent to enterprise customers as an applied engineer building hands on proof of concept with our tech. Sure, I was new, needed to learn the tech, and build customer empathy. Would have been great way to onboard if I spent 1-2 months on it. But instead, I spent my first 6 months doing this alternate role fulltime. After 4 months of this, I made it absolutely clear to my manager and skip manager my discontent. They tried to help, but ultimately the politics dictated that I finish the customer engagement (another 2 months) before taking on a new project. As the weeks went by, I became more and more depressed. I came into this job feeling so motivated to start my PM career. Instead each regular product meeting, I was quiet and lacking context to the day-to-day engineering activities. Aside from making 1 enterprise customer happy with my technical chops, I had nothing to show in terms of shipping product features. I also didn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel either. We have three main feature areas, each already assigned with a PM. I’m the 4th, odd one out, with no home. My new project is to “PM” an educational demo we want to showcase during our big dev conference. The demo is a one-off product, not a core feature area of our platform. I’m doing more PgM work, than PM work. Oh and my original manager (head of prod) reorg-ed the team and I report to a different PM now, who has never managed anyone before and it shows. Now as my 1st chunk of equity vests, I’m re-evaluating my next steps. What should I do? Should I look for other opportunities before completing my 1st year (and Hand back relo / sign on bonus)? Should I stick it out? TC: 230k
Are you l6 PM? Where did you graduated from. Go to jobfinder and find some other team, I switched mine within 4 months of joining due to similar reasons
You should switch. If you are not learning core skills, you'll be cut down after the ad-hoc project is done. Had a similar experience and wasted 2 years of my career
Equiv to L5/ICT3/L62. I'm from a good school. Definitely can check internal openings, but won't it be tough to change before 1 year is over?
Happened to me a while back, was presented with a Shiny Sr PM title and ended up being used as an evangelist without and eng team. I left after 9 months of actively talking to my managers about this discrepancy and lack of progress. The best active decision of my career
Pay your dues, your owed nothing and have no relevant experience. Take what they give you with a smile and crush it...consistently... show them that you deserve more. If AFTER doing that you still struggle to get traction you can start claiming discontentment. At this point you just sound like your whining because it’s not exactly what you want. Secret here - it rarely ever is. Suck it up, do what’s asked of you, and show (don’t tell) why you should be given more responsibility. Or don’t and quit/find something else, but I suspect that if you lack the tenacity and determination here, this is a problem that will follow you.
Hmm I can see how I can come off as whiny. But by your logic, I also owe nothing to the company ether. And they haven't given me relevant experience that I wanted. I had 5 other PM offers before this, so why doesn't the company bear some responsibility to show me they deserve my work? This isn't communism. Tenacity is not a problem, trust me. When I'm motivated, I get stuff done.
This is a horrible advice without the right context. Don't waste your time 'crushing' if your management can't keep promises, find a different team or just a different company, don't waste time with liars. Guess what will happen if you 'crush' at a type of work you don't want? You will get more of it. This Facebook dude has no real career sense.
Suck it up and stick it out. Another six months won’t make or break you so no point in paying back your relo/sign on, plus it reflects incredibly poorly on your resume. You’re paid, fed, and your WLB seems pretty good - who gives a shit?
Cut loss and leave.
I’ve taken projects I didn’t want because I had to pay my dues. Maybe you want to stick it out to see what you can get next. I eventually started doing more interesting projects. Or you can quit?
I had this happen to me as well. I empathize with OP, because even if he wants to change with the PM title, the next company will ask him about this experience and potentially could write him off as it is not traditional PM role. I recommend building relationships with other teams so that you could transition internally as PM and then maybe look for an external position. It will be easier to explain in interviews.
Leave. You’re already behind your peers and your manager will favor them over you since he won’t be able to compare you fairly. Catching up will be an uphill battle.
In Amazon there are infinite opportunities; you can continue scouting for the right fit. That being said, there will always be parts of the job which you will hate and like. Just find the right blend along with WLB. Don't quit. Work hard and make it work!.
Huh? Your past in poverty is unfortunate but completely unrelated to what OP is talking about. S/he was given a Product role which are very hard to come by and require lots of learning. Then being made a project manager. It’s not about making money but learning. Take your useless comments elsewhere
Jesus so if no one goes through 19 years of poverty, then can't make career choices? Playing class Olympics here