Does FAANG Favor Internal Promo to Sr EM?

Question

I recently read an existing question Do FAANG...ever hire M1 from outside?   I am aware that M1 is usually filled internally. The part that shocked me is that the questioner stated they are a Sr EM with 10 years of management experience. I would expect they would interview for Tier 1 as a Sr EM with that background.  This relates to my own career strategy as well: I plan to move from Sr IC to EM at my current company, gain 2-5 years of experience, and consider interviewing out for promo if I can't achieve internal promo in that frame.  Am I thinking about this the wrong way? We know promo to senior for engineers by interviewing is often easier than internal promo, but is that a poor mental model for EM?

Rahul Pandey · Accepted Answer

Getting hired in at M2 (manager of managers) at FAANG usually requires:  Similar scope role at another FAANG or adjacent company, e.g long-time manager at Microsoft or Uber. An exceptional background paired with executive sponsorship, i.e. a Director or VP at the company vouches for your ability to lead multiple teams.

Does FAANG Favor Internal Promo to Sr EM?

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