TECH CAREERS
Glossary
PgM = Program manager; manages large, complex, interdependent processes at a company (e.g., runs the Hiring our Heroes program at Microsoft).
TPM = Technical Program Manager; like a PgM but needs more technical insight and works with engineers (e.g., allocates who uses which GPU cluster at Meta or helps drive execution of a product). Usually more execution than strategy
PM = Product Manager; defines vision and strategy for a product, works with engineers to build it. Balances user needs, business needs, technical capabilities. Role varies from company to company.
PM-T = Product Manager, Technical (only at Amazon)
SWE = Software Engineer
EM = Engineering MAnager
TL = Tech lead; usually a senior individual contributor
IC = individual contributor; not a manager
TLM = Tech Lead Manager; writes code and manages other SWEs
Downlevel = To get a job offer at a lower level
TC = Total compensation (base + bonus + equity)
409a = a 3rd party, fair market evaluation of the value of a private company’s stock
Options or Stock Options = the right to buy a share of a (private) company
Strike price or Exercise Price = the price you pay as the employee to get the stock
Series A, B, C, D, E… = Funding stages of private companies
Solutions e.g., Solutions Engineer, Solutions Architect, Solutions manager = pre-sales hands-on-with-customer engineering roles that builds a custom solution on top of a platform (e.g, AWS, C3, Palantir). Mil tech folks may be very well suited for this. Recognize that companies that sell solutions have lower margins, likely lower pay, and you may not get the same “brand” recognition as being a PM or SWE at a pure SaaS company
SaaS = Software as a service