Pathways IC Leadership
A program that fosters development of individual contributors and sheds light on career paths beyond people management.
Program Highlights
At Meta we’ve always viewed being an individual contributor (IC) and being a manager as two equally important and parallel career paths. Within our teams it’s common for people’s career journeys to take them back and forth between managing and making, depending on what’s strengthening to each individual at a given stage of their careers. There are many ways to be a leader and to influence the direction of product teams—without having to directly manage people to do it. In fact, many of our most senior design leaders use the word “director” in their titles but do not manage people. Yet we know from internal research that our senior individual contributors sometimes think the only way to advance is to take on management responsibilities.
My Role
Co-founder and steering lead of a volunteer-based group. Developed founding program concept, drove alignment and support behind our vision and roadmap. Produce widely-attended internal events with VP executives and director-level speakers.
Publications via Design @ Meta
Grow your design career as an individual contributor, part 1
Four Facebook senior designers share their thoughts on how to grow and lead without managing.
Grow your design career as an individual contributor, part 2
You don’t have to become a manager to grow your design career. So what’s your next step to advance?
Grow your design career as an individual contributor, part 3
Career growth might not be linear. If it isn’t, what other shape can it take?
Acknowledgements
Branding by Kevin Smith
Program Leadership: Yanling Wang, Colleen O’Neil, Corinne Odeurs, Gary Goldsmith