Should I accept a management role or stay an IC?

I've been a Senior Engineer for 2 years, and my manager offered me a Team Lead position. I love coding and I'm worried that if I switch to management, I'll lose my technical skills and spend all day in meetings. Has anyone here made the switch and regretted it (or loved it)?

All 2 comments

Zeeshan Saleem

It is a totally different job. Don't think of it as a "promotion," think of it as a career change. As an IC, your output is code. As a manager, your output is your team's efficiency. If you get satisfaction from helping others succeed, you'll love it. If you only get satisfaction from solving puzzles yourself, you might hate it.

Zeeshan Saleem

This is the best advice here. I tried management for a year and switched back to the Staff Engineer track. I missed the "flow state" of coding too much. No shame in going back if it's not for you!