How to prep for engineering manager interview

Sony
gPqhsm

Go to company page Sony

gPqhsm
Apr 23, 2021 12 Comments

How to prep for engineering manager interview without any actual EM experience? I am currently a lead engineer (not with Sony) with 8YOE and interviewing for an EM role. I really want to transition into a managerial role so this new role I’m interviewing for at another company is something I’d like to pursue.

Any resources from experienced EM people would be helpful.

Tc: 🥜
YOE: 8

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TOP 12 Comments
  • Walmart / Eng
    randomsf

    Go to company page Walmart Eng

    randomsf
    Its going to be hard, unless someone takes a chance to hire you as a tl and groom you as a em. Really hard to take a bet for an em without prior experience. The blast radius for bad em is pretty large.

    But if you still like to go with it, em interview is a storytelling time, a confessional on what has gone wrong and how you navigated. Hard to make those up.

    Before anything else, write down why you’d like to be an EM. “Rule the people and make money” is a bad reason.
    Apr 23, 2021 1
  • Microsoft / Eng
    PJxG70

    Go to company page Microsoft Eng

    PJxG70
    I doubt anyone could give you any good answers. I'm in a similar situation. Your best bet is to apply to many EM positions, big and small companies, and see who will take the risk to hire you.
    Apr 23, 2021 5
  • :-) ${OP} , point taken on the punctuation nazi type comments , just so you know it's because of a visual impairment that I have to put a space to be sure that I'm writing correctly . There also goes the answer on whether you should even consider making a move to a trade that requires you to have nuanced and empathetic approach to each and everything in life , don't gloat if someone reached out to you , being an EM isn't a badge of honour , it requires winning over oneself first with self criticism , then everyone around you with empathy . It may also mean that you've not done much to demo your technical prowess or they already deem you to be a very capable manipulative creature . Either of them scenarios is unfortunate for a person who is 8 years in the industry . Again , please don't troll , read the answers in the right context and you'll have your answers .
    Apr 24, 2021 1
  • Em ? Prep ? You kidding ? Since when did ems need to prep to demonstrate how good manipulators , liars , good for nothing backstabbers , pain in the *** , useless bums most of them are ? I think they have it in their mutated dna . I bet you no one can answer this question for you . Hey , I know there are about 10% really good mgrs out there and I would walk on one leg to work for them , so don't get all pumped up on this response to troll me . Seriously saying , if how do you turn someone into a poor performer and then manage them out to meet your pip quota or to just feed your supersized ego , how do you micromanage in the name of project mgmt and how do you manipulate stakeholders etc are the questions then not a chance in hell anyone can give you any worthy prep tips .
    Apr 23, 2021 1
    • Sony
      gPqhsm

      Go to company page Sony

      gPqhsm
      OP
      At first, I would ask them to improve their writing skills and surely point out that a comma punctuation can be used after a word without a space. And there is a space only after a comma not before it. Same goes for the full-stop (or period).

      I believe I’m looking for answers not related to manipulation or being a pain in the a$$. Asking on how to prep for interviews since I have been reached out to.
      Apr 23, 2021