New ask Hacker News story: Ask HN: What does it mean/take to be a good engineering manager?

Ask HN: What does it mean/take to be a good engineering manager?
4 by satyajith | 3 comments on Hacker News.
I recently got rejected by a FAANG company for the role of an engineering manager. My hunch is that my lack of people management experience comes through (but who knows). My current title is “Director” in a traditional retail company (not a tech or engineering-first company). Despite the seniority I have had zero direct reports in my career. I have “managed” consultants throughout my career which has mostly meant assigning tasks, talking through designs with them, conducting occasional 1:1s, providing feedback and conveying appreciation on a job well done, providing business context around a project or in general, with little to no control over their career growth and development. The feedback I have received is positive - “feel supported”, “has a calming effect on the team during high-pressure/stress situations”, “always willing to provide detailed technical and business info”, “great communicator”, etc. I also don’t see consultants as “not-employees” and treat them the same as an employee. All this combined with a general liking towards people and slightly extroverted nature made me assume that I have the necessary qualities for an engineering manager at a big tech company too. But I have no idea what it actually means to build a team, have direct reports and manage their careers and development. Any and all thoughts are appreciated but these questions come to mind: * In what ways are managing consultants and managing employees different especially in FAANG/big tech companies? * Should I be honest about my (lack of) people management experience during interviews or should I answer using my consultant-management experience? * What are some day to day examples of the type of tasks/decisions as an engineering manager? * How is being a manager different than being a Tech Lead in a tech company?

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