What do principal technical PMs do after Microsoft? (Seattle: sales, how much)

[817661]

Not sure if there is a better forum for this question, but Seattle area seems as good as any. Although Microsoft was very good to me, I'm ready to try something completely different and am looking for some perspective for moving on. This is a 2-part question. (1) The PM role is somewhat unique to Microsoft, what kind of roles do former technical PMs do at other companies? I was most involved in Cloud services, platforms, APIs, Architecture that kind of stuff. (2) By most accounts Microsoft is one of a select few at the top of the software industry. What kind of companies/roles would be a step forward and not a step down?

Throw away account for obvious reasons. x-posted on reddit to get different perspectives.

[CityWok]

(1) Most of the tech companies these days have PM roles. Just like Microsoft, the role is loosely defined. So responsibilities can vary considerably between teams/companies. Some are quite technical and some are just glorified bug facilitators. So you may have to hunt around, but you can definitely find something comparable.

(2) Select few? That used to be the case, but not so much these days. I'm not sure if this is the right question you want to ask though. You're likely considering other opportunities because there is something Microsoft can't offer you anymore. In terms of status, leaving MS can itself be regarded as a step up. At least outside MS. There is a general perception that many of the talented folks have been poached or moved on. Of course this doesn't apply to everyone. There are still many talented people at MS who have stuck around for other reasons. Again, likely a question better answered yourself, if only to find what you're truly seeking. Best of luck with your search and decision.

[SeaGuy]

The one sentence answer is: like the portion of the population that isn't a Principal PM, they spend a bit of time figuring out what they want from change, and then they work hard to get it.

Don't get hung up on your job title: PM means different things to different people, but it's your experience and achievements that they will look at. Unless you're in the public sector, almost all jobs are loosely defined - despite what the thousand word job description suggests.

You will likely get a job through one of two paths. Either applying online, in which case you're trying to successively convince a keyword-scanning robot followed by a corporate recruiter (who is either a 22 year old in South Lake Union or a home-based middle-aged housewife in Kansas City, both imagining they work in tech but really just doing whatever they think the hiring manager is telling them). Or you will get yourself recommended by a friend who already works at another company - in which who you know is the single most important bit.

What people do depends on why they are leaving. You say you want to do something different, but it's not clear what it is about you current situation you want to change. Career progression slower than you want, not enough money, hours too long, bored after too long in a similar role, want a bigger role in a smaller company, know what I love but can't break in without leaving, just turned 30 and getting restless...

Whether Microsoft is a top place to work, and what would comprise a "step down" depends on which elements you care about. Certainly, employee count and revenue alone don't make a big company a good place to work in the eyes of some.

You will create a vanilla resume, then browse LinkedIn and company web sites to see what appeals. As you figure out what it is you want to change, you'll tweak your vanilla resume to orient you in that direction. When you decide to apply for a particular job you will create a specific version of your vanilla resume targeted at that particular role. Your resume is a sales pitch, not a historical document, so what you highlight and what you remove altogether depends on what the posting asks for.

Generally, Microsoft is a good place to have worked - the name recognition and success of the company increase your chance of getting a phone screen. I have known places (both large and small) that specifically look to staff up with with ex-Microsofties (not always with the great outcome they hoped for, mind!) Here are five concepts: (1) If your particular niche is something that Amazon, Google, Facebook etc have a large presence in - then you could score another "top tier" name, if you want same-but-not-identical. (2) There are lots of other big tech firms in the area, maybe not as sexy-sounding but still significant enterprises...SAP, Oracle, SFDC, Amdocs, etc. Same big company advantages/disadvantages, possibly more broadening as it's a bit more of a change. And your non-tech neighbors might stop thinking you are a millionaire; (3) There are tons of smaller-but-interesting firms in the area that might offer a bigger change of direction, possibly with zero name recognition (which you will miss when you try to explain to your mom what you do for a living). (4) Start-ups really need experienced big-company folks, and you might be able to slide into something totally different, and grow your responsibility as fast as the company does. Quite a few were started by Microsofties, so while the job will be a change the culture might not be as different as you'd expect. (5) Professional services can pay competitively, if they hire you it'll be for your specific skillset, but you'll grow a whole different set of muscles in a customer-facing, revenue-generating role. Look at the national firms first, then figure out the half dozen true local consulting firms (all the others are body shops pretending otherwise). The cheap firms ask you how much you're looking for before they'll even talk to you; that's when you know to walk away.

Finally, your use of the past-tense hints that you might have already left MSFT. If so, you don't have to justify why you left or what you've been doing. Hiring managers know that MSFT cans people for any reason or no reason, and lay-offs were in the media just last week. As long as you're not out for several months, it's just your confidence that is affected. If you can't catch a break, go to Ciber, AIM, Matisia etc and as long as you don't price yourself too high you'll be staffed (somewhere!) within a month.

Lots of thoughts there, hope one or two resonate.