Manager or Techie? What direction would you like to take?

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I am definately not a manager type but love the hands on technical side of things

 

Sometimes I think it is easier to do that, to let off steam here... I mean I wouldn't dream of saying what I typed in this thread to my missus, or anyone else local for that matter. Not sure why exactly... I can only assume it's because we're people in the same field, who can and do often feel some of the same pressures, who see the same or similar issues and can empathise... sometimes it can feel kind of lonely, you think you're the only one who feels the way you do... then you open up a bit and other guys and girls say "Yep, that's me too..." It does help. That's why CF is so good.

I've been reading your posts, noticed you've decided against the BETAs (a wise choice IMHO) and saw the news about the exam. You were a whisker away. You will crack it...

 

Heh... yup... just logging off and then off to bed. Supposed to be off tomorrow, but got to dial in to a meeting, which means I can't go anywhere until that's done.

Roll on retirement...

 

It's pretty daft of me really to answer after only 2 years "in the game" , but at the minute (and by minute i mean between now and the next 10ish years), i wouldn't take up any job which was ever more management than technical.

Like i say though not like i have many years thought put into this, i just know that i love the technical side of IT, what my boss gets up to doesn't interest me a jot.

 

Yep. For example, I would much rather have my job (managing the ExSim product development teams, training and mentoring authors, creating technical content) than have my supervisor's job (overseeing and managing all of the development teams as well as the IT staff, but not actually creating content). Sure, I'd probably like to make the decisions he does... but not at the expense of being able to do what I'm doing now.

Not yet, anyway. Maybe someday. Maybe not.

Same was true when I was in the Army. Although it'd have been nice to make the kind of cash that the officers pull in, I'd much rather perform intelligence analysis than manage troops.

If I ever venture back into the "real world" again, I'd want to be a hands-on IT Manager... not one who micro-manages, but one who gets into the trenches and does the actual work with the team.

 

For me, I consider I've done my time at the coalface so I'd opt for management. Don't mind occasionally pitching in to help out or work on problems but I want to be more involved with IT strategy development.

Each to their own I suppose ultimately and I do think it is possible to combine both roles depending on sector in IT you work in and size/set-up of the company.

 

I'd like to think part of the reason I got my degree was to eventually go into management, but I'm not so sure I'm happy being a techie, some management experience would be nice because I would like to become self employed eventually

 

Management sucks baws, That is all

 

I see myself ending up in management, largely because of the amount of frustration I feel when managers get it wrong. Its either that or I'll ditch IT entirely and join the other budding writers in the quest for a massive bestseller

I am at least pleased to say that my current boss actually listens when I say 'Thats really not going to work' the problem is others in the building really don't.

 

ATOS doesnt suprise me, IBM not really either, IBM still has a very monolithic hierarchy from the days of 'you work there till you get your gold watch'

a fair percentage of IBMers are lifers

That said, what makes a manager earn more than their staff? I often here IT staff grumble about how a manager should be able to do their job and the job of everyone else beneath them, seems a bit of a paradox
they shouldn't, in an ideal world they would not even have anywhere close to your skillset, thats why they are managers

Covey wrote that if your workers are the ones clear cutting a forest, managers are the ones behind them sharpening the machetes, giving them bottles of water and generally improving the productivity of the team, there role would be meaningless without the workers, and they are no more or less important than the workers, thus compensation wise, there should be no imbalance

 

Nerrrrrd all the way.

Hate managing people - I'm no good at it. Can't deal with lazy/thick people at the best of times - let alone when managing them.

 

The thing is managing is the only way to go if you want to get right to the top, unless your in an obscure field.

 

Really? Tell that to Sergey Brin and Larry Page...