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> I've tried several times to get a leadership position and have either been passed over or shot down as "too technical". This is probably an obvious question,

> I've tried several times to get a leadership position and have either been passed over or shot down as "too technical". This is probably an obvious question, so I apologize in advance if you've already done this, but have you talked directly to your manager about this? I strongly believe that you don't get what you don't ask for, but sometimes it's hard to actually ask for it in a way that gets your boss on your side. That's the trick, really. You want your boss to be your ally on your career journey, not just an authority figure who hands out job assignments. One strategy that has worked well for me over the years is to go to a 1:1 with my boss, bring up career progression, and say something along the lines of "In 5 years, I want your job (or $Y job). What do I need to do to get there?" If you have a good boss, they should be happy to help you and the two of you can come up with a plan with milestones to get you to the role you want. If you want to be a manager, maybe they can let you unofficially manage someone for a few months and then make it more official, starting with just one person and then expanding from there. If you want to be an Architect, then the two of you can define the steps that it would take to convince The Powers That Be that you deserve that. If you want to transition into product management, they can help you with that, too. Your career journey is up to you, not your boss. Ask, and ye shall receive. And if not... Well... if your boss gives you vague answers and platitudes... you should probably look elsewhere and find someone who does appreciate someone with some ambition. Shitty answer that you probably don't want to hear, but IMO, it's for the best. On that note, another strategy to get the job you want is to look for a new job. The best way to get a promotion and more money is to transfer companies, versus climbing an internal career ladder. If you're as technical and senior as you imply and live in a place with decent job opportunities, you could almost certainly find an Architect role somewhere that would appreciate your ambition and expertise.

GFischer 7y ago
Thank you for your answer. I've raised it with management at my current company, which is a good one, but not a software company and thus limited in growth for technical team members. My current manager was honest in his assesment at least. In a previous job, they did promise me a management position, there was one I do believe they meant for me but the planned expansion was canceled, and I was passed over for another position which was the reason for me leaving. I live in a city which is among the best in Latin America but nothing like the U.S., architect positions are very rare and management positions are not usually posted. That's why I'm tempted to take the PM position, as it is for a software outsourcing company. Maybe I can raise my expectations during the interview process.
- Jemaclus 7y ago
  Gotcha. That's difficult. What I recommend, then, is that you decide what your career goal is and bring that up as a long-term goal. In a lot of interviews, they'll ask you where you see yourself in 5 years, and people give whatever their answer is. I've found that the best thing to do is identify a particular role or person and say "I want that in 5 years." And then make sure that is a possibility (and believe them when they say it is!), and then ask about milestones. Good luck. :)

GFischer 7y ago

Thank you for your answer. I've raised it with management at my current company, which is a good one, but not a software company and thus limited in growth for technical team members. My current manager was honest in his assesment at least. In a previous job, they did promise me a management position, there was one I do believe they meant for me but the planned expansion was canceled, and I was passed over for another position which was the reason for me leaving. I live in a city which is among the best in Latin America but nothing like the U.S., architect positions are very rare and management positions are not usually posted. That's why I'm tempted to take the PM position, as it is for a software outsourcing company. Maybe I can raise my expectations during the interview process.

Jemaclus 7y ago
Gotcha. That's difficult. What I recommend, then, is that you decide what your career goal is and bring that up as a long-term goal. In a lot of interviews, they'll ask you where you see yourself in 5 years, and people give whatever their answer is. I've found that the best thing to do is identify a particular role or person and say "I want that in 5 years." And then make sure that is a possibility (and believe them when they say it is!), and then ask about milestones. Good luck. :)