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This question is about project engineering manager jobs.
Do engineers make good project managers?
Yes, engineers make good project managers. That is the simple answer; the more complex one requires much more nuance.
The transition from engineer to product manager is an adjustment, and a candidate must be willing to learn and take a new perspective to the problem; one that requires seeing the bigger picture and understanding the business side of things.
Good engineers are very familiar with system thinking, and any project is, in fact, a system. Transitioning into a project manager role means working with an imperfect system with unpredictable parts - people, and these require rather different skills to deal with.
An engineer has to be willing to develop their soft skills, such as effectively communicating with all different levels or individuals, some of whom have no technical background.
Because engineering projects aren't just about technical issues and rational factors, they are often more heavily influenced by non-technical and emotional factors.
So, if an experienced engineer is very proficient in dealing with various stakeholders and happy to sacrifice technology curiosity and perfectionism for results, they have a good chance to succeed as a project manager.
This transition is, of course, not automatic and requires lots of training and experience. But with proper diligence and time, this combination of factors might result in very good outcomes.
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