5. Preparation
● Mentorship: I set up 1on1s with friends who had moved into EM or higher positions over the
past few years to hear about their experiences and ask for advice
● Self-Study: I read several books catered for first-time Engineering Managers including the
following:
11. The First Month
● I felt VERY lost. No matter how well you prepare yourself, nothing can prepare you for
actually being there and doing it. Nothing. I had no idea what to do or where to go from there.
● I had very bad Imposter Syndrome. I felt like I wasn’t good enough and was unfit for
management, so I started doubting whether I had made the right career choice.
● Everything was chaos. But even so, the team looked to me for leadership and guidance, so I
couldn’t let them down.
13. After Three Months
● I gained clarity. The longer I stayed, the more I noticed things within the team that I could help
improve on, so I finally found things to do.
● I started voicing my opinions. I realized that they had hired me precisely to speak up and
contribute ideas. Even though I still had Imposter Syndrome, I felt obligated to speak up
anyway.
● I built trust within the team and company. Unfortunately, the job of an EM is people-based so
making allies and earning people’s trust is vital.
14. After Six Months (Now)
● Building vision. An EM’s job is to provide long-term vision and
direction for the team from the organizational point of view. Having
always been an IC, that way of thinking was new to me and is still
something I need to continue working on.
● Continuing to study. Since EMs spend most of their time doing non
hands-on work, it may be a good choice to continue studying and
brushing up your technical skills on the side if you are unsure
whether you want to continue down the path of management.
● And lastly…
15. After Six Months (Now)
● I’ve found a new hatred for evaluation period. You thought things were bad when you were
an IC, wait until you see how it’s like from the EM point of view!
16. Lessons Learned
My three tips for new EMs:
1. You WILL feel uncomfortable, but keep
going!
● There is unfortunately, no way to learn
and grow unless you are willing to leave
your comfort zone
17. Lessons Learned
My three tips for new EMs:
2. Build trust within your team and outside of your team.
● Unfortunately, being an EM requires playing with
politics. Things will be so much easier if you have
allies and are overall, a well-liked person within
the company
● Within the team, people will not follow you if you
talk down to them. EMs are not “higher” or
“better” than senior ICs. They are equals, just
different career paths.
18. Lessons Learned
My three tips for new EMs:
3. Have a clear vision of what kind of EM you want to become.
● Think about your past managers and ask yourself, what made them so good (or
bad)?
Become the EM that you needed.
