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Then on the other hand, you have unusual guys like me who are trying over and over to get into management, but 20+ years in I'm still at the bottom of the totem pole. It's always the same need-experience-to-get-experience catch-22: "Well, [JOE] already has management experience and you don't so [JOE] is now your manager." It's always a struggle: If you want X and don't want Y, somehow you're always going to be offered Y and have to fight for X.

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I’m right there with you - despite feeling like I’d be more passionate about being the more managerial and less “hands-on coder” on every team I’ve ever been on, including having a biz/IT degree vs pure CS, and having worked in a variety of industries in a variety of roles ... it’s always “well we want you to be the dev because reasons” and I can’t quite figure out what I’m missing. I have a feeling it’s just that my resume doesn’t say I’ve already been a manager and that when I interview, I don’t lie and tell people how I’ve managed teams of direct reports. That doesn’t mean I’m incapable, or that I wouldn’t be great at it, but I guess orgs see management as high risk so they never want to take a chance. Either that or I’m always doomed for some sort of “BUZZWORD-Ops” role

Have you had the discussion with your manager that you want to get into management as a long term goal? Your manager should help you plan out a track to a management promotion. If your manager is not helping you develop along your intended career path find a new manager. If they do when one becomes available you should be prepared to interview for that role.

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