Two ideas:
1. Be an engineering manager first, learn on the job and maybe switch to IC later on
2. Try to get a down-leveled IC roles as a super special case, likely on a specific team that knows your strengths and weaknesses and thinks they can support you. Like some kind of 'tech lead' role. Maybe "Technical Product Manager" at FAANG is a good fit.
I would just dabble with free or cheap online courses to get up to speed with modern programming and not do a whole bootcamps. Bootcamp will be $20K for 12 weeks and based on your history, it sounds like you can learn the same stuff yourself - and probably MORE - for free.
u/Wilecyot wrote (the comment Michael replied to):
That kind of points towards me, as a mechanical engineer, and my approach there. It was never just a job but a way of life and seeped into every facet of my being. I'm a problem solver and use the tools at my disposal to do just that. Maybe going to the solo educational route and
u/michaelnovatireplied·
Top 1% of bootcamp isn't quite what you would think it means. Two types of people:
1. People who drink the koolaid and have no experience, fake their resumes to present whatever they need to get interviews, and then use their brilliance to make it through the interviews and pass.
2. People who didn't need to go to the bootcamp at all and just wasted their money.
You sound like you would be in bucket 2 to me haha.
u/itsthekumar wrote (the comment Michael replied to):
I'm curious do you think a company would "take a chance" on a MechE Director of Operations for an Engineering Manager job?
u/michaelnovatireplied·
A company that hires managers for manager skills and not coding skills would and you might be down-leveled.
u/itsthekumar wrote (the comment Michael replied to):
Maybe it could work, but there are also lots of project managers out there looking for work.
He would have to upskill on at least some tech lingo first.
u/michaelnovatireplied·
OP is specially suited for this: [https://www.metacareers.com/jobs/1296230207698571/](https://www.metacareers.com/jobs/1296230207698571/)
Not general product manager
u/itsthekumar wrote (the comment Michael replied to):
Eh he/she could try for Meta, but not every company is a Meta or is as liberal as Meta in its hiring.
u/michaelnovatireplied·
The other FAANGs have this job too, but most non-FAANG level companies do not
u/itsthekumar wrote (the comment Michael replied to):
Maybe. But they're probably looking for someone with more experience in software as a product even if they don't explicitly say it.
u/michaelnovatireplied·
No one's forcing him to apply! I know a bunch of people in that role from various backgrounds and going to a coding bootcamp isn't going to help.
u/Wilecyot wrote (the comment Michael replied to):
Hahaha you're likely right but paper does matter sometimes.
I have a friend who's in the tech space and he just told me to focus on Go. Learn go. Build some stuff, and start applying.
u/michaelnovatireplied·
Agree with jcl. Well I disagree that it means jack shit - it actually makes you look WORSE and is a NEGATIVE.