One natural career progression for a software engineer involves moving forward into senior, staff, and principal roles, leveling up through a company and subsequently contributing to not only companywide initiatives but also projects with industry-wide impact. A challenging path that requires scaling one’s expertise and influencing the larger engineering field through detailed design work, advancing professionally as an engineer also requires excellent communication skills and political savvy — as well as technical acumen and a relentless passion for knowledge.
In other words, it takes a lot. And, of course, many of these same traits are applicable to another path many engineers pursue as they advance at work: management. Often, engineers will change their career tracks to enter managerial positions, transitioning away from the individual contributor (IC) path to instead pursue a career trajectory in engineering management (EM). Indeed, for engineers with an interest in business strategy and finance, management can often be a better fit for their skill sets; and for those interested in branching out from design and development into roles that explore a company’s bigger picture, transitioning into management can make all the sense in the world.
But how does an engineer committed to the technical side of the profession pursue a fulfilling, long-term career path as an individual contributor? We spoke to one senior software engineer, Ben Arwin at Ylopo, who’s undertaken efforts to further his professional growth without moving into management.
Ylopo is a next-generation technology platform that helps real estate brokers, agents and teams grow and manage their business. Its all-in-one digital hub is designed for customers to generate new customers, nurture their existing prospects, manage their team and build their brand.
How long have you been working as a software engineer, and what types of roles have you held?
I’ve been a software engineer for more than 20 years. Working mostly at startups and small companies, I’m usually wearing a lot of hats, filling roles such as backend engineer, database administrator (DBA), system administrator and DevOps engineer.
Management is not for everyone, but many engineers feel it can be difficult to progress in their career without making the jump. How have you navigated conversations about career growth with your managers, and what steps have you taken to keep pushing your career forward?
I think the key is to always be learning. That not only makes an engineer a better individual contributor as technology changes, but it also keeps the job interesting and provides motivation for career growth without going into management. I try to attend conferences and meetups as well as follow tech channels online to stay current and keep learning.
What types of growth opportunities exist at your company for software developers who want to remain in an individual contributor role?
There is no set path, but Ylopo provides flexibility in terms of roles. Developers aren’t confined to a single part of the stack, nor a single role in team dynamics. There’s a lot of room to step up in terms of leading teams and driving tech decisions while remaining an individual contributor.
