Don S. is a Software Engineering Manager in Facebook’s London office. He leads testing and verification for Facebook’s products across three teams. We sat down with Don to learn more about why he loves the management track at Facebook and how his work in finance directly translates to the technical work he’s doing today.

I’ve been an engineer for more than 20 years, so I am extremely technical at heart. But I also love fostering the growth of my team members and helping them build their skillset. That’s why Facebook was so appealing to me. As a coder who likes to coach others, I get to put both of my passions -- technical engineering and people development -- to work everyday. Not to mention, the engineers here are the best in the business.

At a lot of companies, you’re forced to take the management route if you want to further your career, so people become managers even if they have no real desire to do so. At Facebook, we measure career development by the level of impact someone makes, rather than by whether or not the person is a manager or by the amount of people they manage. You can achieve the same level of success and progress in your career as both a manager and an engineer. For those who take pride in seeing others succeed, like myself, management becomes a natural career path. Not only that, but because everyone is extremely good at their job, I’m able to spend time empowering them to progress in their career, instead of spending time helping them improve upon tactical skills.

I think about managing engineers the same way I think about coaching a sports team. My real joy is in determining an individual’s strengths, helping them realise their potential, and then helping them execute on that potential. At the same time, every manager has to pass the coding bar; they are required to have the same technical skills as those on the engineering track. I know many people that have tried out management and moved back into engineering, which Facebook supports wholeheartedly. Having the ability to choose your own path is a much healthier way to grow your skills. It’s not a ladder like it is at the banks - instead, you’re measured by what you’ve done, by taking on a larger scope, and by the real impact of your daily work.

Before Facebook, I had a relatively stable career as an engineer in finance. I was managing a highly technical group, but it was extremely hard to grow as a technologist inside a bank. Their process was highly regulated, and as a result we wasted a lot of time waiting on permission from higher ups. This meant that in order to truly drive change and achieve more in my career, I would have to give up technology and take an executive route. At Facebook, I don’t have to make that tradeoff. Instead, I’m surrounded by highly talented engineers - I’m never going to be the smartest person in the room. Everyday I learn from my colleagues; I’ve learned more in the two years I’ve been at Facebook, than the previous five years in finance.

Facebook’s pace is still refreshing to me, I can get something done in minutes or hours that would have taken weeks and months at the banks. My team tests bugs in code before it ships and creates tools that automatically make code better to ensure a seamless experience. We measure our success by the number of bugs we’ve fixed - the immediate feedback is very rewarding, and there’s a collective moral drive to do a good job. This makes the technical challenges more interesting because if we are too slow, no one will wait for us. When I was in finance, this position just simply wouldn’t have existed. I was constantly waiting on approvals that halted our production, and we didn’t have the proper tools to solve problems instantaneously. Facebook trusts us, gives us responsibility and understands that the engineers on the ground have the best point of view. There is never a scenario in which process gets in the way of finding a solution and driving change.

If you’re worried about making the jump to tech, you just have to squint and think a little bit to realise that the the skills are transferable. The skills I acquired in finance, particularly in trading systems, directly translate to the work I’m doing now. You might be successful in finance at the top of your career, but the process and procedures will always hold you back. It didn’t take long for me to realise my career was plateauing in finance. When I made the switch to Facebook, I didn’t have to give anything up in my career and what I’ve gained is immeasurable. I still have the respect from my community, the opportunity to solve intense technical challenges, and the ability to work with thousands of incredible coders - all in an environment that’s geared towards engineers.

When I meet my former finance colleagues at the pub, they’re all wearing suits and worried about getting back to work when the market opens. And me? Facebook is up; I’m not waiting for the New York Stock Exchange. All my suits are in the back of a cupboard. I’m wearing a t-shirt and have a huge smile on my face.