How to pick a specialty track for the future?
I have spent 5 years at my current company with this break down of time:
- 2023-2024 manager for 4-8 people doing web development for internal tools. Some backend platform work in node.js.
- 2020-2022 Android native development, junior to senior IC, product focus. Some backend node.js work.
As an IC I spend tons of time coding, writing design docs, and learning and practicing Android native development. As a manager I have spent 25% time max on learning web development and have been primarily people managing or tinkering with the backend.
As an Android engineer I got a big tech offer for a mid level position, but declined. I love Kotlin and feel like I could pick up where I left off with Android at a big tech company mid level, or senior at a start up.
Would you agree that is the best approach for my next role? How would you put this on your resume? 4 different roles broken down by level and focus - or if I want to do android next could I have my tag line be "Engineering Manager, Senior Android Engineer"
And then in the bullet points under that I could include the fact that I also did some web and backend work, so they can see that wasn't my 100% focus. Also I will say to the recruiter that I've done the most with Android but most recently was not working with it.
How would you approach this?
![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
(2 comments)- 22 months agoTech Lead/Manager at Meta, Pinterest, Kosei
I'd definitely push for a senior role in Big Tech, as I discuss here: When should I down level myself on purpose at a new company?
More broadly, my advice is to avoid making any leveling decision on your own. Wait until you're further along in the process. Figure out what the company needs, what the recruiter thinks of your experience, and how much leverage you have with other interviews/offers.
I've seen people with 4 Years of Experience (YoE) join Big Tech as entry-level, mid-level, and senior. Leveling is very context-dependent.
- 1
2 months agoTech Lead @ Robinhood, Meta, Course HeroFirst off, I think you would certainly qualify for a senior role at Big Tech! You have a lot of great experience.
In terms of what track to pick, that really depends on you. Do you really like building front-end apps (web + mobile) or do you like empowering people more? Given your rich experience, I'm sure both paths would be fruitful for you.
This sounds cliched, but it's advice I 100% believe in: Follow your passion!
What I will say though is that you don't want to muddy the waters by having 1 foot in both. Something like "Engineering Manager, Senior Android Engineer" would be confusing to hiring managers and recruiters. Either brand yourself as a "Mobile Engineering Manager" or a "Senior Android Engineer". As an engineer, you generally get rewarded for focus and conviction.
Here's a recent similar thread: "How to know your technical strength as a Software Engineer?"
