Technical vs. Management Career Path for Software Engineers

At some point, every software engineer faces a crucial question regarding their career path. Should they stick with the technical track as an individual contributor, or take on a leadership role within management?

There is a lot to consider when choosing between these options. Let's examine each career track and explore some self-assessments that may help you decide between the management and engineering paths.

Common misconceptions about manager vs engineer roles

Myth #1: Managers have no technical skills

It is no surprise that you need specific abilities to run an executive team. But that doesn’t mean the management track involves no technical skills. Tech competency and problem-solving are needed for both career paths.

Myth #2: Engineers have no leadership skills

Taking the principal software engineer track does not mean you miss out on leadership opportunities. Senior engineers use a robust set of soft skills to train, educate and control projects, even as they remain on the more technical side.

Myth #3: Technical tracks require no people skills

A common belief is that coding is a solo task completed outside of a team. In reality, high-level software engineers need excellent people skills, personal management and the ability to collaborate. Yes, technical engineers lean more towards independent work in nuanced technologies, but their work still involves the people skills that managers focus on.

Myth #4: Management expends no direct efforts on projects

The management track does require more time spent on internal operations and customer engagement. But that doesn't mean you skip project builds with your team. Rather, it means spending more time on a particular project, as successful outcomes are now your responsibility.

Engineering vs management career paths

So, what do these individual tracks look like?

The engineering manager career path

The management side of engineering involves the skills of negotiation, strategy and team oversight. Success is based on team accomplishments, customer satisfaction and overall business efficiency gains.

The technical career path

Pursuing a technical engineering career path involves mastery of engineering fundamentals, direct action and skill, often in multiple languages such as Python, Java, C and SQL. Lead engineers fix problems, upgrade systems, train new engineers and create the technical solutions required for success.

The middle ground: the Advanced Engineering career track at EPAM

At EPAM, we understand that technology continually changes. In recognition of the impact of this acceleration and adjustment in the job market, we created the Advanced Engineering track. It is a career path for the technologists at heart who also relish the thought of increased problem-solving and managerial duties.

In other words, you engineer the systems, but also recompose those systems according to your high-level strategy. It's the ideal mix of both lead engineer and manager responsibilities.

This third option resolves the software engineer career dilemma. Specialize and grow your career on your terms.

Best of all, demand for these types of software engineers continues to grow, as many complex technical roles now also require technology leadership.

Engineer or manager? Assess yourself

While these career tracks offer many opportunities for career growth, how you fit within the different aspects of each role is the critical element for success. For example, a skilled yet unhappy manager might be better suited to the technical tracks, even if they could do well as a senior director.

To help you determine where your preferences lie, and whether you want to take on software engineering manager responsibilities, answer the following self-assessment questions:

1. Do you want to take on more responsibilities in your current position?
2. Do you prefer one-to-one training or building a team strategy?
3. Which do you prefer: meetings and presentations or troubleshooting?
4. Do you enjoy learning new programming tools and want advanced mastery in specific engineering skills?
5. Do you need to remain hands-on for all projects, or do you prefer to delegate responsibilities?
6. Are you interested in connecting business outcomes to customer expectations?

Next steps

Self-assessment can help point you in the right direction. But the choice between technical vs management career paths should not be taken lightly. The following steps can help further confirm the best path for you.

• Find a mentor: Meet with senior colleagues from both engineering and management tracks — they have high-level knowledge and experience that could help you make your choice.
• Talk with co-workers: Gain insight from friends and teammates who have gone or are going through the same career dilemma as you.
• Give one option a trial run: In many cases, you’ll have opportunities to test either career path. See which best fits your skills and preferences through trial and error.

Ready to grow in your software engineering career? Find exceptional career development opportunities at EPAM by applying for a software engineer job with us.