4 ms·
This is true in most industries. You either move on to a management position or stagnate. The problem is it doesn't really work in the development world where
by TomOfTTB 16y ago
This is true in most industries. You either move on to a management position or stagnate. The problem is it doesn't really work in the development world where you can get better and better the more deeply you use and understand the technology. Plus it has the side effect of pushing highly technical people with no management skills out of jobs they're good at and into jobs they can't do well (imagine Woz trying to be a manager)
That's why many big tech companies have moved to a "level" system (to the best of my Knowledge Microsoft started this trend but I could be wrong). In that type of system you can continue to be a developer but move up in level and salary. That way great developers can stay great developers and not be penalized for it.
- metageek 16y ago>That's why many big tech companies have moved to a "level" system Although you have to do it right. Netscape had such a system, with levels ranging from T1 to T7. I started at T4. Two years later, I was doing work that, according to the written definitions, should have put me into T5. I asked my manager if I could get promoted; he bumped it up to his director. About four months later, the director answered me: yes, I did meet the written definition, but, no, I couldn't have a promotion, because they didn't actually use the written definitions. They were guidelines, but the real standard for promoting to level N was comparing the person to other people who were already at level N...and there were no T5s in the company. Basically, it was a firebreak, which provided the appearance of a career path, without providing the reality. (I expect this wasn't on purpose, but that was the effect.) Three months later, I moved to another company, hired as what Netscape would've called a T7.