How to become senior engineer if manager won't give impactful work?
I've raised this concern to manager in almost every 1-1 once even in front of Director of Eng that I'm interested in more roles and responsibilities. Cuz I was not a fresher even when I joined the current company at entry level and now that I've done decent work too at current company.
But manager fails to give me a path/timeline of when will I be entrusted with some impactful work.
He criticises in public, and has a favourite too who uses this to influence the manager against others.
Manager also wants every small thing to be done his way and he presents the whole thing as learning opportunity for me.
If junior engineers are not supposed to do anything on their own then why are they even hired as engineers?
Should I look for new opportunities? Or how can I take away most from the current situation?
![Senior Software Engineer [E5] at Meta company logo](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffirebasestorage.googleapis.com%2Fv0%2Fb%2Ftech-career-growth.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fcompany_logos%252Fmeta.jpeg%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Da7a5bcc0-e178-4b5b-b71e-09bf6c6aefae&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
![Entry-Level Software Engineer [L3] at Google company logo](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffirebasestorage.googleapis.com%2Fv0%2Fb%2Ftech-career-growth.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fcompany_logos%252Fgoogle.jpeg%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D780356ef-3efc-4728-9eb4-d909b75bb4a6&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
Discussion
(3 comments)- 39 months agoTech Lead/Manager at Meta, Pinterest, Kosei
How large is your company and how long have you worked there? Most likely, leaving this job is the best bet. But if you've only been there a few months, or the brand name of the company is very strong, you can consider sticking around.
The manager doesn't seem very supportive, and from my experience, this is a difficult relationship to repair.
- 2
9 months agoTech Lead @ Robinhood, Meta, Course HeroFrom this post, it seems like your manager might have tinges of abusive behavior (calling out in public and micromanaging). If this is truly the case, the best route is probably to switch teams/companies:
- [Course] Ace Your Tech Interview And Get A Job As A Software Engineer
- [Masterclass] How To Choose A Good Company And Team As A Software Engineer
- [Masterclass] What Software Engineers Should Look For In Their Engineering Manager
However, this could also be a case where perception and alignment don't match, and the relationship could be salvaged. Your manager is actually on your side, but you're not plugging in properly to forge that alliance.
The biggest thing that stands out to me here is the expectation that managers need to give large, impactful projects to their software engineers to get them to senior. This is 100% not the case. In order to get to senior, you have to be independent and able to identify impactful projects on your own. If your manager is giving you those projects directly, you aren't truly functioning at a senior level. Follow the advice and examples from this playlist to learn how to create scope: [Taro Top 10] How To Create Scope As An Engineer
When it comes to working with your manager, it seems like you need to have a more honest (but also more empathetic) conversation about your growth path. I highly recommend going through this masterclass: [Masterclass] How To Work Better With Your Engineering Manager
- 09 months agoEntry-Level Software Engineer [OP]Taro Community
It's an MNC and the strength is approx. 900
