Should You Move to Engineering Management, Stay a Senior IC, or Try Something Else? Let’s Talk About That Awkward In-Between

Let’s be honest: at some point in your software career, especially if you’ve been the “go-to builder” in small startups or agencies for years, you hit a weird spot. You’re not “junior” anything. You’re not fresh out of school. But the leap to big-company leadership roles? That can feel like trying to board a moving train, especially when all the interview questions are about how many direct reports you’ve managed, or how many times you’ve had to lay someone off.

Sound familiar? You’re not alone.

The Senior IC Rut: Over-Qualified, Under-Qualified, and…Stuck?

It’s a strange place to be:

• You’ve built and shipped more web apps than you can count,

• You can talk the language of architecture, mentoring, and delivery.

• But you don’t have those “big org” badges, no 20-person teams managed, no official “years as a people manager,” maybe never even been through a formal “Performance Improvement Plan” cycle (lucky you).

  
  

So you apply to senior IC (Individual Contributor) roles. And what happens?

• You feel overqualified when you look at the job description…

• …but underqualified when they start grilling you about solving obscure algorithm puzzles in a whiteboard interview, or ask for experience in frameworks you just haven’t touched (who hasn’t had to Google “best way to center a div” in the last month?).
  

Meanwhile, the questions for Engineering Manager roles start to sound like:

“How many years have you managed large teams?”

“Have you ever had to fire anyone?”

“Tell us about your experience leading re-orgs or handling performance issues.”

You start to wonder, “Wait, is this a promotion, or just a different job?”

The Truth: Senior IC to Engineering Manager Is Not a Level-Up, It’s a Side-Quest

Here’s something almost no one tells you:

Moving from Senior IC to Engineering Manager isn’t a “step up.” It’s a side-step into a different world.

• As a Senior IC, you’re (primarily) responsible for code, architecture, technical decisions, and maybe a sprinkle of mentorship.
  

• As an Engineering Manager, your primary job is people: coaching, navigating personalities, helping your team succeed (and sometimes, unfortunately, dealing with conflict or performance management).
  

The skills overlap, sure, but the day-to-day reality is wildly different.

And the kicker? There are way fewer EM jobs than there are Senior IC ones. In today’s market, it might be 20:1. There are also a bunch of “first-time manager” listings out there, usually at companies desperate for managers who can still code, or who value technical credibility over pure management pedigree.

Should You Go for EM Roles?

The honest answer?

Yes, if it genuinely excites you. Not because it’s “next on the ladder,” but because you want to spend your days helping teams, talking to stakeholders, unblocking people, and coaching, not just writing code.

But be honest with yourself:

• Why do you feel the urge to move “up”? Is it the work you want to do, or just the title you think you “should” have by now?
  

• What parts of your job do you love? Is it building? Leading? Mentoring? Solving gnarly tech challenges? Facilitating people to do their best work?
  

If you’re not sure, that’s okay. Try applying to both Senior IC and technical/team lead/first-time manager roles. Tweak your resume for each. Be ready for a new flavour of interview questions:

• For IC roles: “Tell me about your toughest technical challenge.”
  

• For EM roles: “How did you help a struggling teammate?” “How do you handle conflict?” “How do you help teams deliver?”
  

This process is not just about getting a job. It’s about getting to know yourself, your preferences, your energy, your real “zone of genius.”

The Market Reality

There’s no sugarcoating it:

The current tech job market is crowded. There are many people with similar years, tech stacks, and war stories.

So, what sets you apart? The thing you want to do, the stories you love to tell, the work that lights you up. That’s the energy that comes through in interviews and helps you stand out from the pack.

Don’t just take whatever bites first, unless you have to.

If you’re in the luxury position of being able to choose, choose the path (or even just the next step) that feels right for you.

And yes, the “feeling stuck” thing is real. Everyone hits it at some point. You’re not broken; you’re just at a crossroads.

Play Both Sides: Double the Resumes, Double the Learning

Here’s a pro move:

• Make one resume that highlights your technical depth, architecture, and delivery, tailored for Senior IC jobs.
  

• Create another that focuses on mentorship, teamwork, communication, and broader ownership, tailored explicitly for Lead, EM, and first-time manager roles.
  

It’s extra work. However, going through the motions for both allows you to test the waters. You might find that EM interviews light you up (or terrify you). You might realize you love being a technical expert, not a people wrangler. Or you might be the rare unicorn who wants to keep a foot in both worlds. (Those hybrid “Tech Lead” or “Player/Coach” roles do exist, by the way.)

The point is to permit yourself to explore.

Don’t Let Titles Decide, Let Your Values Lead

The title is just a word. Fit matters more. Do you want to be the person building the thing, or building the people who make the thing? Or, maybe, both?

Think about what you value most:

• Autonomy?

• Impact?

• Technical mastery?

• Coaching and mentorship?

• Shipping a product?

• Making order out of chaos?
  

Let those values guide you, not some imaginary career ladder.

TL;DR: It’s Normal to Feel This Way

• Feeling stuck between Senior IC and management is more common than you think.

• Senior IC to EM isn’t a promotion; it’s a whole new job.

• Apply to both, and use the process to discover what feels right.

• Tune your resume and stories for each path; one size does not fit all.

• The tech market is rough, but don’t settle for a bad fit if you don’t have to.

• Your values, not your years or your title, should drive your decision.
  

When an Outside Perspective Helps

Sometimes, you’re too close to your own experience to see the best next move. This is where talking to someone who’s “been there” can be invaluable, whether it’s a mentor, a coach, or a Fractional CTO-type advisor.

They can help you unpack:

• What do you enjoy about your work?

• Where your unique value lies,

• How to frame your story for either path,

• And how to get “unstuck” in your head.
  

You don’t have to figure it all out alone. Plenty of us have stared at that same fork in the road, wondering, “Which way do I go?” Sometimes, the only way to know is to start walking and see which path feels lighter.

So go ahead, apply, experiment, learn, and don’t be afraid to ask for advice. This is your journey, and you get to define what “levelling up” looks like.

Want more advice, quick checks, or just someone to tell you it’s normal to feel a bit lost? Reach out. The path isn’t always straight, but you’re not walking it alone.