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I'm looking to take up a new challenge, as in changing jobs, but I have a dilemma! I have been in a mid-senior level for a few years now and would like to move to a manager level. However, the manager job ads seem to be a long shot for me in terms of requirements. So, it seems that I'm not a a manger yet but also above the mid-senior level.

What is general advice for someone in my shoes? I'm an electronics/embedded systems engineer. Should I continue to look for mid-senior positions (and get stuck with it for a few more years until I meet the job ad requirements)?

Should I keep looking for manager level and just be patient?

Before anyone asks, I have acquired some leadership skills, mentored junior colleagues and have some of the manager quality just not as much as a highly experienced manager who has been in their role fora while.

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  • @JoeStrazzere Thank you. I meant mentoring others, leading meetings, high organization skills, big picture thinker, sat on committees, volunteered in charity boards...etc
    – Pioneer83
    Jul 19, 2022 at 2:27
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    From my point of view, the most important step is to get direct reports. Companies expect different things and experiences from managers but most of them care that you had direct reports before and know how to work with them. I would never hire someone into a manager role without previously leading people. Therefore I suggest approaching your line manager and you could, for example, become the people manager of some of his reports because you want to grow into this direction.
    – spickermann
    Jul 19, 2022 at 6:30
  • @spickermann but isn't this the chicken and egg dilemma?
    – Pioneer83
    Jul 21, 2022 at 4:56

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Most of the "requirements" that you see listed in job adverts are really "nice to haves". It's pretty rare for a candidate to meet 100% of them.

If you meet some of them (1/3rd, for instance), then it's worth applying anyway, even if you don't meet all of them. You have some management experience (as well as deep technical skills that most managers are lacking) - so as make sure that you sell yourself on that basis.

If you don't have any success, then you may need to lower your sights a little. But you've got nothing to lose by putting in a few applications and seeing how it goes.

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  • @gh0stfishThank you, it's good to know that the job requirement are not always strict as the ads imply.
    – Pioneer83
    Jul 19, 2022 at 2:29

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