Thinking about moving to PM but a bit hesitant

Nov 9, 2021 13 Comments

I've been a SWE for around 2.5 years now and thinking about my future. Overall, I love tech and building cool things that help people, that's why I became an engineer. However I've come to realize that I don't necessarily care that much about the deep and specific technical implementation of a solution. Rather I've generally been more interested in the businesses themselves and the impact of the tech/product on people.

Additionally as I've gone through my few years as a SWE, I feel like I'm supposed to get super deep in the technical aspects of the work so I'm considering other roles in tech the may play better into my strengths like I think PM may.

In terms on moving to PM from SWE, I'm concerned about the comparative amount of jobs available (I'm in NYC), salary growth, and job resiliency to economic downturns (i.e. are PMs the first to go when cuts are made essentially). Can anyone validate or refute these?

In the end based on my situation, should I try and make the switch?

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TOP 13 Comments
  • Apple
    boredaf69

    Go to company page Apple

    boredaf69
    PMs usually aren’t the first to let go because there is usually 1 pm to a few swes. It will also depend on the product the larger the org the pm will be less likely to get fired. If it is a startup I can make a case that swe can do what a pm does so they might be let go there

    Pay would be less than swe, and less work, but it is a lot of talking endless meetings and follow ups
    Nov 9, 2021 5
    • Financial Services Company / Eng
      fangMan6

      Financial Services Company Eng

      fangMan6
      PMs don’t do work
      Nov 9, 2021
    • Apple
      boredaf69

      Go to company page Apple

      boredaf69
      Do you have any justification or you are just hating because it’s cool to hate on pms in blind ? Good pm are well versed in the industry and are able to successfully justify what needs to built and what will bring the most revenue.

      I get from a dev perspective you just see the last requirement document and none of the front end work that justifies why you should be building something so it feels like I could get it done in a day.
      Nov 9, 2021
  • Twilio
    dkEiufm

    Go to company page Twilio

    dkEiufm
    PM here, if you care about how technology impacts business and people becoming a staff+ engineer or EM is a great career path to be in.

    At higher levels all my engineering peers have opportunities to influence business direction through their knowledge of the technology. They also get to talk directly with customers and do presentations and mentor other engineers. It’s not the same as a PM but IMO it’s better in many ways.

    EM is also an option and many engineering managers go on to be general managers and be involved with business strategy.

    My advice would be to stick it out at least 3 more years and see how your role changes. At 2.5 YOE you’re still doing a lot of pure execution work and your job will look very different with more experience.
    Nov 9, 2021 1
    • New
      eZIH9s

      New

      eZIH9s
      +1 here. i’m a PM with technical background too. I sometimes regret becoming a PM in favor of being an EM. EM you still get to work on strategy but also get to think about technical challenges, which is less relevant for PM. i’m guessing there’s less bullshit for EMs too. I miss the technical side
      Nov 9, 2021
  • i’ve never been a pm, but i felt that i wanted to be less technical early on because i felt an inferiority complex due to my lack of knowledge. but over time, your knowledge grows as does your confidence. and you realize that being a developer is one of the best jobs in the world, and there is a lot of joy you get from being able to solve problems with a computer. i am really glad i have stayed, and really hope to continue to program forever.
    Nov 9, 2021 1
    • IBM
      rLeI77

      Go to company page IBM

      rLeI77
      Yes adding on this. In my limited yoe, I’ve seen that someone who is well versed with the technical side of things (as capital one mentioned, knowing ins and outs) but also they’re a good people person, able to break down large problems into user defined components are the most valuable kind.

      They’re in this fine line between PM and development. Too valuable to get rid of, because you have the technical depth but you also know how to converse with customers, great estimation, gel well with other teams etc
      Nov 9, 2021
  • Optum / Eng
    sde_majdur

    Go to company page Optum Eng

    sde_majdur
    Stay atleast 5 years and then make a move from staff or principal swe. Much more wisdom and tc you'll have.
    Nov 9, 2021 0
  • Cisco
    Persistant

    Go to company page Cisco

    Persistant
    Generally, PMs are witch-hunted a lot more than eng is. Many companies dont touch engineering but keep on reshuffling/scrutinizing PM and their impact. Every dept should be held accountable but the eng is given so many free passes for months and sometimes years. Not arguing who is more important who does more work or anything. Just sharing my observations so you know what you are signing up for.
    Nov 9, 2021 0