Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!sun!amdcad!dgcad!dg-rtp!farmhand!cole
From: cole@farmhand.rtp.dg.com (Bill Cole)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Not engineers
Message-ID: <1991Apr18.181119.20917@dg-rtp.dg.com>
Date: 18 Apr 91 18:11:19 GMT
References: <1991Apr17.144402.16637@sparky.IMD.Sterling.COM> <Js1k11w163w@shark.cs.fau.edu> <33186@mimsy.umd.edu>
Sender: cole@farmhand (Bill Cole)
Organization: Data General Corporation, Research Triangle Park, NC
Lines: 33

|>Theo Heavey writes:
|> >Still worse is the fact that very rarely may a techie type flourish
|> >in the tech area. To clarify, a good techie (ie. programmer) can only
|> >go so far before maxing out the salary range. To move up (the standard
|> >American dream) to a higher level of income the techie must move into
|> >"management" 
|> 
|>Christopher Lott replies: 
|> If I remember correctly from my brief time at IBM, they have a dual
|> career track.  Good technical people can become senior then more senior
|> (forgot the catchy titles) tech people without assuming managerial duties.
|> I assume (but don't know) that the salaries were comparable.  Anyone else
|> out there work for a place with this dual track?  Is this common?
|> 
|>

You're both right.  The Software Engineer in a 'user' environment (i.e.,
someone who works for an end-user of computing services such as a bank or
insurance company or a steel company) is considered a useful tool -- almost
like the machine but more interchangeable with other programmers who might
work more cheaply.  In this environment, a programmer has two choices: 
become a 'systems programmer', thereby linking yourself inextricably to 
IBM; or move into management.

In the world of computing services builders (such as software companies or
hardware manufacturers/integrators), we've cleverly built two tracks -- one
for managers and one for the folks who clearly are happy doing technical
things.  That's why I choose to work for a vendor.  I have swapped from
individual contributor to manager to individual contributor to manager.
The point is that it's my choice to be one or the other and continue on
that particular career track; I'm not particularly penalized or rewarded
for making the decision.

/Bill