Appealing technical career path options?

Two that I know personally - consultant and instructor Consultant - somewhat obviously - allows you to pursue whatever you like doing, so long as you can convince someone to pay you for doing it. The nice thing is that as you grow and develop your skills, you can upgrade your consulting from simple "contract programmer" to analyst, designer, team leader and so on. The scarey part is that there is no safety net like in a job Instructor is less obvious, but if you love programming then there is nothing more satisfying than imparting that love (and some skills) to a new generation of programmers Both can be a challenge, and both can be quite rewarding Cheers R p.s.(I started this PS a few minutes ago, then stopped, now will write it again in response to the good comment) If you wish to remain within the ranks of those working for a company, then there are still options.

The difficulty with most companies, as you have pointed out, is that their career "path" only involves management. You CAN elect to stay where you are, but you will likely not be rewarded nearly as well - if at all. Sometimes, they can get downright nasty if you won't "move up That said, it's not all bleak.

There really ARE companies that have a proper technical ladder. The problem is twofold: 1. They are rare and can be hard to find.2.

If you find them, likely they are among the "top 10" companies that tech people like to work for, so you need to be REALLY excellent to get a job with them Still, if this is your passion, such paths do exist.(I worked for one in the early '80's that did have a pure "technical ladder", but unfortunately that ladder was in the engineering dept, not the IT dept. (so I left for a different company) The other solution is to find a very flat company, in terms of organization. The flatter they are, the less likely they will "force" you into management Actually, in the flat companies, you WILL be moved into management, just that you will still be doing your technical work There's one last bit of info I have for you - the "soft stuf" of management is necessary in almost every job if you want to move ahead (not just up).

Consultants need to be able to communicate with managers and CEOs and such in order to remain valuable. The better you communicate to those outside IT, the better your prospects. Likewise, instruction is almost pure communication, so again, being good a the so-called "soft skills" (communication) is necessary.

Two that I know personally - consultant and instructor. Consultant - somewhat obviously - allows you to pursue whatever you like doing, so long as you can convince someone to pay you for doing it. The nice thing is that as you grow and develop your skills, you can upgrade your consulting from simple "contract programmer" to analyst, designer, team leader and so on.

The scarey part is that there is no safety net like in a job. Instructor is less obvious, but if you love programming then there is nothing more satisfying than imparting that love (and some skills) to a new generation of programmers. Both can be a challenge, and both can be quite rewarding.

Cheers, -R p.s. (I started this PS a few minutes ago, then stopped, now will write it again in response to the good comment). If you wish to remain within the ranks of those working for a company, then there are still options.

The difficulty with most companies, as you have pointed out, is that their career "path" only involves management. You CAN elect to stay where you are, but you will likely not be rewarded nearly as well - if at all. Sometimes, they can get downright nasty if you won't "move up".

That said, it's not all bleak. There really ARE companies that have a proper technical ladder. The problem is twofold: 1.

They are rare and can be hard to find. 2. If you find them, likely they are among the "top 10" companies that tech people like to work for, so you need to be REALLY excellent to get a job with them.

Still, if this is your passion, such paths do exist. (I worked for one in the early '80's that did have a pure "technical ladder", but unfortunately that ladder was in the engineering dept, not the IT dept. (so I left for a different company).

The other solution is to find a very flat company, in terms of organization. The flatter they are, the less likely they will "force" you into management. Actually, in the flat companies, you WILL be moved into management, just that you will still be doing your technical work.

There's one last bit of info I have for you - the "soft stuf" of management is necessary in almost every job if you want to move ahead (not just up). Consultants need to be able to communicate with managers and CEOs and such in order to remain valuable. The better you communicate to those outside IT, the better your prospects.

Likewise, instruction is almost pure communication, so again, being good a the so-called "soft skills" (communication) is necessary.

So you don't think it exists either since your suggestions are basically self-employment or a tangential career in teaching. – dacracot Nov 5 '08 at 23:09 See my above edit. It does exist, but it's rare.

– Huntrods Nov 5 '08 at 23:18.

That's a good question. I've seen many very skilled rounded developers who reject more lucre for manager positions for the reason you stated. It's almost a catch 22, given they are rounded, that is get the business as well as the technical, they know they would slowly be removed from developing with the better paid managerial job, There's probably a great quote out there about the best qualified man for the job is the one who would never accept it.

However, unless there are further purely technical roles higher than where you are in the company then you either have to accept your position until the company grows or seek a company with more senior technical roles.

That makes three answers that say there is no such thing. Yours at least admits it. – dacracot Nov 5 '08 at 23:11 @dacracot true.

But if you have the experience, aptitude and inclination, the consultancy mentioned might be the ticket. – dove Nov 5 '08 at 23:15.

None - it's up to you job-hopping - advancement comes from changing companies consulting - one-man show has to know it all take charge of your career, no one is coming to do it for you, and the vast majority of corporations consider promotion to management to be desirable and would not understand why one would not want to do that note that many a fine programmer has been promoted to not-so-good manager; by the time they figure out that they are not good managers and don't really like it, their technical skills have atrophied.

So you're saying it doesn't exist. – dacracot Nov 5 '08 at 23:04 @dacracot: from what i've seen, yes, it pretty much doesn't exist. There may be exceptions of course, but in the general corporate world the 'obvious' progression upwards is into management – Steven A.

Lowe Nov 5 '08 at 23:09.

Well there are 2 aspects for a developer's carrer advancement... If you're the kind of person who like to manage, you'll become a team leader and ultimately be promoted to a manager. On the other hand if you like technical stuff, you probably be promoted to senior software developer, then ultimately promoted to something thats more prestigious such as Software Architect. That's how I see it, at least that's being applied to my company.

I'm 25 years out of school and already a "senior technical architect". That's good. I'm still 18 years from retirement.

That's bad. – dacracot Nov 5 '08 at 23:41 I always thought that If one has reached the highest desireable career posible in a company and not happy with it, maybe its time to change job to a bigger company. Being a senior technical architect in microsoft must feel different from being a senior technical architect in lesser companies.

– RWendi Nov 6 '08 at 21:58 But of course im not the best person to give career advice... – RWendi Nov 6 '08 at 22:00.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.