Worth considering FB IC7 vs M2 PM?
**PM specific thread** :) Facebook and ex-FB friends, I’d value your advice. A recruiter has reached out about senior IC roles on a specific team “can be IC 6/7”. Q: if I’m looking to join as IC7 or M2, am I better off interviewing for an IC role or waiting for an M2 role to open up to interview for? I’m currently managing a PM team and would prefer that. So my heart’s not really in it but I’m also curious where the comp lands if I get an offer. 1/ Is it easier/harder to get hired as M2 or IC7? 2/ Is it fairly fluid to move back into a mgmt role if I start as IC? 3/ is the recruiter bullshitting me that roles are IC6/7 or does she really mean IC6? (Presumably the manager would themselves have to be M2 to manage IC7?). #pm #product #productmanager TC: 600k YOE: 15+
That’s an awesome TC. Are you an L6 at Uber?
There aren’t very many of us at these levels so I try not to dox myself with specific leveling info.
My understanding from when they were recruiting me is that they prefer recruiting leadership roles from outside since the skills they prioritize for leadership are different from the ICs. So you'll be better served long term waiting for an M2 role.
Thanks @abc. How many M2s are there and how common is it to hire from outside? Seems somewhat uncommon though Im seeing a fair number of Director roles posted.
For PMs - M2s are far more common than IC7s. There are probably more opportunities for the former than the latter. In addition, I'm not sure why people say IC7 is a dead end. It's quite common for for IC PMs to switch into management and it's also common to hire someone as an IC for 6-12 months before transitioning them to people management. This rarely happens for eng, but it's quite common for PM
Thx! Because IC7s are rare, I’m concerned about pegging my hopes on interviewing and getting leveled at 7. When I’ve hired equivalent roles at IC5 @ Uber, I expect them to be better ICs than me. Most panels would default to IC6 I suspect, as that’s already quite senior. Whereas M2 is more likely prescribed by the management span/scope... More importantly: this thread is making me reflect that I really enjoy and value the people management part of my job.
FB PMs - while I have you here, let me know if your team is hiring an M2 PM manager :) Background is better fit for data/algos/ML/platform type stuff which would fit ad tech but also curious about VR and other more emerging areas.
@abc thx will do!
Not specifically related to your q. Does setting LinkedIn profile to indicate you are open to new opportunities work? I haven't done it because I don't want to folks here to know, but curious what others have experienced. I asked here because you said the recruiter reached out :)
I did switch my setting a few months ago and noticed more inbound...I actually didn’t realize there was a setting at all. Seems like a no brainer even if you’re passively searching.
If you turn the setting ON, recruiters in your company will not find you. I believe this is communicated by LinkedIn as you toggle that ON/OFF switch.
The M2 or IC7 interview will test for different skills so based on your experience you will have better chances in one over the other. Are you an experienced people manager? If not don't try M2.
Yep, exactly. Definitely enjoy and very experienced on people management. I’ve let recruiter know and he found some M2 roles that fit. In the past I’ve had an exploratory call for an M2 role with only 2 reports which reported into a director with a total org of 4 which was odd (wasn’t a match for my interests in any case). So some variability even among M2 roles.
Omg why do you need help making a career decision
Because it’s a decision that impacts the rest of your life, and there is very little data to inform the best choice. Threads like this are an opportunity to learn from others and make a better decision. Did you not ask for guidance in deciding whether to take the job you have?
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M2 would likely (but not necessarily) be managing M1s. You might also be manager a larger team of ICs or be in a more business critical area. I would personally not recommend going to IC7 - the expectations for IC7s are incredibly high and you will have significantly worse wlb. Additionally as an IC7 you’d need to navigate the organization in ways I’m not sure an external hire would be prepared for. Source: Used to be IC6
TY. Very helpful answer!
@pWDm03 Very insightful 👍 Can you elaborate more on navigating the organization? How does it work in fb?