Thread by @Prathkum

Do you think you can't move your career forward if you don't become a manager?

That’s a mistake! Today, people are realising that they can choose to be an Individual Contributor (IC), an expert in their area, instead of managing people.

Let’s see how you can get there:

Context: an IC is basically an experienced developer who prefers to keep coding instead of managing a team.

Here are the main roles of these two career paths.

Becoming an IC shouldn't be a choice by default.

You need to be genuinely passionate about tech - as you’ll spend most of your time coding and willing to influence strategic decisions.

You’re not making the decisions, but you will be able to exert your influence.

You need to deepen your expertise to become a reference in your field or your company.

How?

By writing articles, going to conferences, monitoring, working on complex subjects…Be curious and proactive!

But deepening your expertise is not enough. You need to get better acquainted with the business side (particularly the product) and become a proactive problem solver.

Meet users. Understand business issues. Develop your ability to convince. It’s not just about tech skills!

I know the question you’re asking yourself: “how about salaries?!”

As an IC, can I make as much money as a manager?

The answer is yes!

Here’s the @talent_io salary report, which highlights the differences between both career paths.

🔗 join.talent.io/tech-salary-re… #collab