The pivot from individual contributor (IC) to people manager can be one of the most challenging transitions in tech. The first time you do it, it can feel like you’re asking an employer to take a chance on you.
And yet the transition can also be one of the most rewarding shifts of your career, as you move from owning your output to mentoring others, scaling your impact, and creating a larger ripple across your organization.
So how do you successfully land your first people manager role, and what mistakes should you avoid along the way? Let’s dive into the key steps towards securing your inaugural leadership position.
5 Steps To Pivot From IC To Your First People Manager Role
1. Be realistic about what’s possible.
You need to remain grounded about what’s possible when pursuing your first people leadership role. While it’s unlikely that your first position will involve leading a large team or multiple departments, it’s absolutely possible to land a role overseeing a small team.
A tech team lead, or a people manager role overseeing 2 to 5 direct reports, is a natural first leadership step. Many tech companies, especially startups, are willing to hire new people managers who demonstrate clear leadership capability.
It is also important to recognize that many tech companies prefer promoting an internal candidate to their first people management role rather than hiring an external candidate with no prior management experience. If you enjoy your current company, pursuing an internal promotion path can significantly increase your odds and reduce friction.
2. Don’t count yourself out.
As a tech executive coach, one of the biggest blunders I see aspiring people managers make is counting themselves out before anyone else does. Do not remove yourself from consideration for a leadership role before the company has even evaluated you. Every leader starts somewhere.
Focus on the experience you do have. Instead of responding to an application or interview question with, “No, I haven’t led people,” try, “I’m happy to share examples of my leadership experience…”
This isn’t dishonest. You’re strategically shifting the conversation toward your relevant leadership behaviors, like influencing without authority, collaborating cross-functionally, mentoring, and making decisions.
3. Take on visible leadership opportunities.
You don’t need a formal people management title to demonstrate leadership. Transferable leadership behaviors absolutely count and can be equally valuable.
Continually seek opportunities to develop your leadership acumen and close any gaps in your experience. This is critical. That might look like:
- Serving as project manager for a highly visible initiative
- Leading or co-leading an employee resource group (ERG) or business resource group (BRG)
- Onboarding, training, or mentoring junior employees
- Presenting updates to senior leaders or executives
- Driving cross-functional alignment across product, engineering, operations, etc.
- Owning stakeholder communication during high-pressure launches or updates
Not everyone’s path to leadership will look the same. Find opportunities that both build your credibility and play to your strengths.
One of my clients loved executive reporting. She intentionally sought highly visible data projects that required her to work across teams and present to executives. While she did not have direct reports, she guided peers and influenced outcomes. She used those experiences to build a compelling internal promotion case and successfully landed her first people manager role within her Fortune 100 tech company.
4. Highlight your fabulousness.
You’ll likely compete against experienced people manager candidates, so to make the switch, you must identify and articulate your unique value proposition (what I call your fabulousness).
Why are you more qualified than applicants with direct people management experience? Once you identify your unique offering, infuse it throughout your resume, LinkedIn profile, networking conversations, and interviews. Be explicit, and connect the dots for the employer.
A client spent more than 10 years in IC roles but had never formally managed people. She successfully landed a role leading 5 direct reports because she powerfully conveyed her experience managing complex projects, influencing diverse cross-functional stakeholders, and partnering with senior executives. In other words, she made it undeniable that she was already operating at a leadership level.
5. Leverage the power of mentorship, sponsorship, and coaching.
You do not have to navigate this transition alone.
Seek out mentors and sponsors internally who have successfully made the jump to management. Learn what they did to secure their new roles, how they positioned themselves, and what they would have done differently in retrospect.
Sponsors are especially powerful because they can advocate for you in rooms you’re not in.
You might also consider hiring an executive coach who can partner with you to identify potential gaps in your experience, pressure-test your strategy, and develop a concrete plan to overcome any weaknesses so that you come across as a compelling and confident candidate.
Is It Possible To Land A Leadership Role Without Formal People Management Experience?
Yes, of course. Everyone has to start somewhere. Many of my clients have made the transition from IC to their first people management role. The key is to target right-sized roles, clearly communicate your leadership behaviors and fabulousness, and fill in any experience gaps. Don’t be afraid to bring in support from a mentor, sponsor, or coach, either.
Do Tech Companies Hire People Managers Without Direct People Management Experience?
It depends on the company and the hiring manager. Some organizations are more rigid, requiring applicants to possess direct people management experience, while others are more flexible and will accept transferable leadership skills.
You can use LinkedIn to research current people managers at your target company. Look at their career paths and analyze whether they had direct reports before landing their role or if this was their first formal leadership opportunity. These patterns will tell you a lot.
How Do I Know If I’m Ready To Become A People Manager?
Be honest with yourself. Reflect on whether you genuinely enjoy training, mentoring, and coaching others. If you’re excited about the title or compensation potential, but not the people side of the opportunity, take a pause. If you’re excited about multiplying your impact through colleagues, that’s a strong signal that management may be for you.
Also consider whether you’re ready for your impact, value, and performance to be measured by your team’s output rather than your own. Finding fulfillment in team efforts is a distinct shift that requires a different mindset.
How Long Should I Stay In An IC Role Before Pursuing Management?
There’s really no required number of years, especially in the tech industry. Some professionals remain ICs their entire careers, while others prefer to quickly advance into a management role.
While tenure is a factor that tech companies consider, you have to demonstrate your readiness through leadership behaviors and relevant experience. If you’re already influencing without authority, mentoring and coaching peers, driving alignment, and operating beyond your job description, you may be ready for people management.
Is Becoming A Manager The Only Way To Grow In Tech?
Absolutely not. Many tech companies now offer dual career ladders where senior IC roles enjoy compensation and influence equal to what’s found in people management roles.
Management is not the only path to impact, just one of them. Decide whether you want to focus on developing people or deepening your individual expertise.
Final Thoughts On Landing Your First People Management Position
The transition from IC to manager isn’t easy, but with strategy, intention, and positioning, it’s absolutely possible and very worthwhile. Your job is to seek out right-sized opportunities, develop your leadership behaviors, communicate your transferable skills, and differentiate yourself from more traditional candidates.
If you’d like strategic support as you pursue your first people management role, please reach out or schedule a consultation. I’d love to partner with you as you step into this next chapter. You’ve got this!
