Guru Track

[ukaskew]

I found this article pretty interesting...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35460401

Particularly the last bit from the founder of Hootsuite.

I spent 12 years at a large organisation, became the focal point for all technical questions/queries (which I didn't mind at all), but couldn't progress financially unless I took on ever increasing line management roles. I begrudgingly accepted this as more often than not they came about through restructures, but when I reached second highest role and was no longer doing any of the actual work, I ditched it all and moved to a much, much lower paid job which just about keeps me in the black but offers me much more flexibility and a significantly better work life balance.

I thought I was a little unusual (and had to go to great lengths to explain to what is now my employer why I was applying for a much lower paid job with no managerial responsibilities.) but presumably there are plenty of career paths where you could be well beyond the expected or required experience and skillset for the role, but not rewarded above anyone else unless you make the move into management (simply asking for a raise was never an option as they had defined scales for 'job families')

[Frimley111R]

I worked in M&A (Selling Companies) and a significant number of business owners sold because they had started out doing what they loved and ended up managing people, cashflow, the tax man, suppliers, H&S, etc. Even working for yourself doesn't necessarily avoid management.

[spikeyhead]

I've worked in several places where the best paid person in the design department had no managerial responsibilities.