Transitioning back from Manager to IC

PayPal
bond85

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bond85
Jan 5 9 Comments

I used to be an IC for 9 years (Nokia, Expedia, Walmart, Ebay). Got into manager role(at Ebay and now PayPal) and been in manager role for 5 years now. Looking to get back as an IC. My main rationale is 3 fold -
1. Managing people in non FAANG companies lot harder as it’s hard to match TC in this market
2. Very few Sr Mgrs get to Director and above.. so reach saturation very soon and get stuck
3. Longer I stay in this role harder to get back into technical role
TC: 500k Senior EM. Total exp 14 years

How realistic is it to get back in IC role at FAANG as a L6? Is going to non FAANG as IC and then comming to FAANG a better option? There is also the option of trying to get into FAANG as EM and then doing switch back to IC.

Not sure if anyone has tried these options before

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TOP 9 Comments
  • eBay
    djeyy

    Go to company page eBay

    djeyy
    How has the wlb been as a manager? Is it better or worse?
    Also , as a manager do you have to deal with more politics than IC.?
    Jan 5 1
    • PayPal
      bond85

      Go to company page PayPal

      bond85
      OP
      Definitely you deal with way more politics as manager. And here is the worst part .. most times you are the messenger for bad news. Over time it wears you down. You are judged based on how happy your team and how you manage attrition but in this current market have zero leverage to control attrition. The wage gap between FAANG vs non FAANG at every level is beyond fix. The job options also get limited as you continue being manager for long
      Jan 5
  • Pixar
    Shart💩

    Go to company page Pixar

    Shart💩
    Not FAANG but switching back to IC from management was one of the best decisions of my professional life.
    Jan 5 0
  • From a goto (conference) talk I listened to today: pilots have to clock in hours if they want to keep their license, even if they are "managers". If you clock in the code, you are good to go.
    If not - they will not let you in. If you can code - it's very realisitc and I've worked with many ICs that switched from managers. One even switched roles within his team(!)
    Jan 5 2
  • The reasons you mentioned to go back to IC are wrong. Unless you truly enjoy being an IC don’t go back. The challenges you mentioned will pass.
    Jan 5 0
  • New
    EOcW23

    New

    EOcW23
    Sooner the better.

    I went from a manager of managers back to an IC about a decade ago. It’s amazing how much happier I was after making that switch.

    I always kept my hand in doing small projects and working on architecture with my leads.

    So many IC’s want to move to management for some perceived gain. It’s not. It’s an entirely different job. I did that it mind you. I just enjoyed coding much more.

    Good luck.
    Mar 3 0