If you are confused programmers, people need to see this technology career path

Disclaimer: This article is a blogger original article, shall not be reproduced without the bloggers allowed. https://blog.csdn.net/epubit17/article/details/90767210

Maybe now, maybe in the future, there is always one day, we'll worry about future career development. But when we looked up and looks into the distance, but found that the total could not see. So, we naturally think of - their predecessors are gone it? Engineers those years ago are now doing what? Perhaps, they went to give us some insights and guidance.

I always wanted to help people sort out a list of technical career path, so that people, when confronted with technical career choice confusion, reference may be the same as looking at the menu. Shortly before the party, he gave me a good opportunity.

"Old people know" is a title we know that early team member of Baidu. "Baidu know" is a knowledge community, in November 2005 officially released. It is with immense love for this product, as well as Baidu "Let people equal easy access to information, find the request" mission of highly recognized, in December 2005, adding "know" team, to be a back-end engineer, so I'm very familiar with the 2008 "Baidu knows" an engineer from 2005 to. Of course, all of my colleagues a decade ago, although much of it is not "know" the team, but this does not affect your deep feelings for this product is still claiming to "know the old man."

"Old people know," a party every year, but this time party, I put it across as a relatively complete "sample set" 10 years, conducted a small survey: We all used to be engineers, typical technique man, 10 years have passed, and now are doing what?

Although this "sample collection" is too small, only 20 people, but it is spanning over 10 years in the field of Internet technology is very typical of a group of people.

After summarizing, I found then these engineers now generally distributed in eight directions of the four major categories,

As shown in Table 1-1.

Technology category

Mainly consists of two general direction: architects and technical experts (or scientists).

• 1. A direction to focus on "broad", focusing on the technical integrity, architectural, concerned about the overall business solution, we tentatively called the "architect", will become a powerful architect "chief architect" of a product or undertake service chief architect of the role of technical solutions. They have common works of community service class architecture, cloud storage services architecture, search architecture, electrical services, architecture, data platform architecture. Behind every product has one or several technical architect, they care about the technology itself, is more concerned about how technology products and good service users.

      

  2. Another direction focuses on the "special", a special focus on technical depth, professionalism and finesse, we tentatively called a field of "technical expert" or "scientists", such as common image technologists, speech technology experts , machine learning experts, recommendation algorithm experts. They are a particular area of ​​expertise in the "martial arts master", the results tend to be used in a professional and technical services, technical solutions are not generally responsible for the complete user products.

      

Everyone is familiar with the daily use of the computer, its manufacturing process, first by the chip manufacturers to produce general CPU, memory, card manufacturers to produce motherboards, graphics cards, sound cards and other components of these professionals, manufacturers responsible for the professionalism of these components ; then from the computer manufacturer to assemble these components into a computer, and the overall functionality and user experience is responsible for the computer. This is very similar to our above-mentioned two technical direction: experts focused on the protection of professional technology, and architects focused on the overall technical solutions and guarantee product delivery.

Management

Management also has two different directions, namely, technical managers and professional managers. Some people think that professional managers are more mature stage technology manager, but I am more inclined to think that these are two different options.

• 1. Technology managers. Naturally this direction, that is, from the engineers to the technical team of line managers, department managers and then slowly do other second-tier managers, followed by a large technical systems or entire technical department vice president of technology, if also including products, design and all "product delivery" category team, became the CTO on a conventional sense. But on the whole, they all belong to the technical manager.

      

  2. Professional managers. The reason is called professional managers, because the manager is not limited to this type of management class team, but tend to be more concerned about business. Much like the CEO of a business, responsible for a full business team, some companies also called GM (General Manager). This role is not restricted to a specific business, but the company may need to be responsible for other new businesses migrate relatively strong. While professional managers care about every aspect of a business, but it still belongs to the nature categories executives, working under the overall framework of the company, rather than as the founder has control of power throughout the company.

      

Business class

Business class for technical people, there are two directions.

• 1. As the founder of a direction is the lead venture, do leader. Business success after becoming what we call "entrepreneurs", like Robin Li, Ma, etc., they are technical people led business model. Current artificial intelligence, big data, block chain, cloud services these technical direction of the big heat, also spawned a lot of technical background CEO, exploiting the boundary areas of expertise in technology, Qiu Hui Fang exclusion. For example Sang Wen-feng is the founder of Shence data "old people know" in the, I believe you also have a CEO around a lot of technical background.

      

  2. Another direction is as a technical partner or technology executive with overall responsibility for the company's technology, technology management for the company, "bringing peace to the country." Almost every successful Internet companies, have such a strong role, such as the current Internet the second echelon, Mu Rong US group were, on Didi Zhang Bo, Yang Zhen original headlines, are in this direction outstanding representatives, Mu Rong are also "know the old man." In fact, the success stories in this direction is far beyond that, the company behind most of the Unicorn has a strong technical partner. You might ask, direction, technical direction and technical partner managers Is there any difference? Looks are "technology executives."

      

The main difference between the two is that: it is a technical partner as a business partner and founder of entrepreneurship from early-stage companies together and do executives, its core is the joint venture; and technical managers often at a more mature company to do management its core is the management. This is actually two very different career direction.

• • About "technology partner", I listed earlier are more successful entrepreneurial case, this is only for the convenience of our understanding. But in reality, most of the business is "not yet succeeded", so the technology partner is faced with more business pressure and uncertainty, their role in most of the time are not managers, but entrepreneurs , just "happens" in charge of technology management only.

     

  • On "technical manager" here refers to the narrow technical manager "Management" in the majority of the time they are doing the technical management, the perspective of their work, working methods and technology partner is very different. At least, they will not "do anything" to go to seek possibilities of development of the company, not only because they do not have this will, but can not afford the risks of doing so brought - after all, the company does not belong to them.

     

You might also ask, why should the "entrepreneurs" and "technology partner" is also divided into two directions it? They are, with the mentality of entrepreneurship is not it? The reason is very different responsibilities of these two roles are very different demands on capacity, so their "skills inventory" is very different. Therefore, from the point of view of career development, it will be divided into two directions.

Advisor Class

Consultants from both directions like a bit far: investment adviser and management consultant.

• 1. Investment adviser, is an investment people have made before the vote, but also after the do vote, based on the complete judgment of a business team and projects, from "peripheral" to the capital and investment services to support the business development of the company. Before they do invest, often they have a very rich business management experience, broad vision and keen insight. If you talk about and know about Baidu's investment adviser, has Baidu venture Qi Yujie, Wang Mengqiu clean capital and Chen Yun-min and, before Baidu Technology executives are once managed directly or indirectly through Baidu know the team. It is worth mentioning that they were once Baidu engineers, typical technical people.

      

  2. Management consultant, also is to provide training and consulting services to help companies do human development and organizational development. This direction is from the "inside" to support the company's development by supporting managers and HR within the company. They tend to years of management experience, theoretical research, coaching and training techniques as the basis. At present, "the old man knows" people in this direction is minimal, only me. Moreover, only a year ago, I was a pioneering technology company executives; five years ago, I am a department manager of Baidu. So, most of the time I was before, is a "technical manager."

      

Above the eight directions, that is, 10 years ago, "the old man knows" Today's career development. So, in addition to the eight directions of development engineers, there is no other path to it? Obviously yes, network technology such as red, technology media people, there are a variety of techniques aside "cliff-style" switch: full-time financial management, family business, a full-time nurse Daddy, traveling the world and so on, these cases are too personalized , it is difficult to learn, so is not within the scope of our discussion.

You might be curious about this 20 "old people know" what is the distribution of. Let us look at the proportion in all directions, as shown in Table 1-2.

The combination of these data we can easily find the following three features.

• • The overall distribution of scattered, everyone 10 years later have their own choice.
  • Technology managers and technical partner of start-up companies is relatively concentrated, add up to more than half in both directions.
  • 10 years later, still insist on technology to do a lower proportion of about 20%.

Of course, this sample size is very small "sample set" not representative of the people of the Internet industry technology development. But this may give you some perceptions, these four categories of the eight directions may have reference value to you. Further thought, a different career development, skills requirements it any different? In other words, if you want to choose a direction, preparation and accumulation of what needs to be done then? We say, skills often just means a different direction represent different output values, as long as beneficial to you maximize the value of the output of your skills are good accumulation, and not as obvious here. However, a different direction does have some common perspective and skills, as shown in Table 1-3.

prompt:

Table 1-3 merely as a reminder and inspiration, because this "skills inventory" is neither full nor complete, different managers, according to their own understanding of adjustment and improvement, and form their own proprietary "skills inventory."

Table 1-3 these "skills inventory", are used in very "big" word, look a little general, what we straighten out the general logic.

• 1. Start, we, as engineers, need good practical operation of technical ability, which is a professional quality engineer.

      

  2. Slowly, as more and more we can do, more and more, and continue to improve the overall infrastructure capacity, so that we become architects; and if we are a specialized field of technology more and more specialization , will become technical specialists or scientists.

      

  3. Of course, we can also continue to expand their project management skills and the ability to bring the team so that we will become more and more advanced technology managers.

      

  4. Next, if you choose to do your own career, you can go to start-up companies to do technical partner.

      

  5. With more and more concerned about the development of the industry, business logic, company management, we slowly have professional managers and co-founder of perspective.

      

  6. With more and more concerned about the value of capital operations and capital generated, we will from investors perspective on all walks of life and society as a whole.

      

Here we are in accordance with the perspective of migration and expansion capabilities to illustrate the process. But as each specific individuals, their career development but does not need to completely after this process, did not, "the more the latter the more advanced" argument. For you, if ultimately rest on his favorite role and identity, and that is the best choice.

Of course, no matter which way, some capabilities are common, such as planning, with people, communication, execution management capabilities covering all eight directions. Therefore, we should make an effort to distinguish "technical management" and "technical management positions," these two concepts. Some people may be interested for various reasons, such as the opportunity to choose not to do "technical management positions," but "management" as a comprehensive ability, is essential for future career development - even if we do not do managers, they will inevitably managers and cooperation. But in different roles, different degrees of "management" capabilities need to know.

All in all, for technical people, regardless of whether we do technical management positions, almost all career development, revolve around technology and management in the two legs to walk, one leg is not far away. By discussing the first four categories of eight directions, we have a general understanding of those engineers years ago, their whereabouts.

This article is taken from the book shelves just "knowing and technology human management of the road" , author: Liu Jianguo.

• • Time Geeks column "Technology Management 36 combat stress" Supplement book
  • Internet technology management textbooks, the Internet management theory and practice summary

Each book requires a clear answer to a question - what to whom about one thing? This book is no exception.

As one person to do the book explore how technology management, technical book for all people to read, because technical people and managers will inevitably have to deal with, and many technical people will sooner or later become managers; this book is also suitable all managers to read because management logic of various scenarios have in common. In fact, the contents of the book have been many non-technical entrepreneurs, product manager, sales manager, HR, management consultant and trainer at home. Of course, if you both "technical" and "management" of these two attributes, but just at one of the following states, will discuss the contents of the book you feel more empathy:

• • ★ you are a want to manage the "aspiring" engineer, but do not know how to work hard;
  • ★ you are a team of architects were asked to tape, but sometimes do not know where to start;
  • ★ you are a newly appointed manager, hope to grasp the management essentials;
  • ★ you have done for many years management, refining management methodology and hope carding system;
  • ★ you want to grow and help the development of technology managers.

In short, whether you want to do technical people management, or the technical team of managers, this book will give you open a new window.