Targeting EM roles in start-ups and getting rejected even before tech tests. The feedback is vague and not something I can come up with concrete improvement actions from. Some examples of feedback: - Not sure what we want right now, we may call you in the future. - You answered well but we are going with someone else. - Not enough startup experience I am coming across as a poor fit for start-ups but not sure what I need to adjust to come across as a good fit. What can I do to improve here? TC: 225K GBP (im in the UK).
You may just be too expensive for them?
Maybe, I have been lowering my TC just so I can rebuild my career elsewhere and more recently just been avoiding the topic, the results are still the same so not sure if that solely is the issue.
what kind of manager are you? how do you deal with unreasonable timelines and fast changing requirements that changes before your team even read them? i wonder how you answered that question (they may not ask it directly, it can be simply structurally as “tell me about your past experience “)
I was about to respond I havent been asked this but then you mentioned it may not be directly. Based on your post it seems I may be answering the "tell me about your past" incorrectly as I answer based on what I am doing and the size of the teams I manage. Thanks, this was useful for me to realize.
Many startups have no clue what an EM actually does. Case in point is many assume 50% hands-on coding. Some even assume this for Director-level. You don’t want to work at these if you are serious about Eng leadership roles anyway.
That’s a good tc for UK! I am currently a manager in a series A startup at 85k tc, fancy a swap? Hehe. It would be good to know how much you are asking for and what company size you are targeting. The smaller the company the more hats you would need. But, from growth perspective, smaller startups might not be the best move. unless they succeed it might be difficult to move to a more established company afterwards. Not to mention usually all you get is a base salary, and if you are to get some shares those are worthless.
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Engineering manager is not really a job that's governed by any sort of meritocracy. Everyone just hires their friends.
that’s true. i guess this is what building network is for?
Yes. Tbh, leading a team of ICs is well known to be one of the jobs in society that brings a ton of baggage. They deliberately select for people who will fire someone if asked.