5a or above but you’ve to go through apprentice manager program regardless of your level.
Even for external hires?
Can a newly hired 5b/6 IC immediately join the program?
I heard going the TLM path there can avoid this. True?
The rules for becoming a manager use to make it impossible to go from ic to manager without taking a downlevel (no paycut, but bonus/stock targets reduced) if you were 5b or above, unless you were a TLM. Unsurprisingly, a ton of people became TLMs until they could pass a manager promo committee. The rules have changed somewhat since.
5A