[Dementor430]

Didn't really have good managers so far. Reading this makes me question my choices. Maybe it's time to move on. On the other hand, this is a cluster of greatness and for every 15 good comments there's a thousand bad stories.

So let me ask this instead: How would you go about finding a job with a good manager? And whats the reason behind it?

[toast0]

As with any job search, it helps to use your network. Ask people you know about their managers and if you hear about someone that sounds like a good fit for you, then ask if they're hiring.

If that's not available, then you've got to do lots of interviews. Make sure it's at places where you interview primarily with the team you'll work for, so their manager is potentially your manager, and the hiring manager is likely to be your manager. Ask you future peers about the manager, ask your future manager about their maanagement style.

As an interviewee you get less time for questions than the interviewers, but you do have time.

It also helps to know what you're looking for. My preferred management style is 'benevolent neglect' but that's not for everyone. A good manager can tweak their style towards what works for their employees too - I had one manager where I talked with a peer about why I liked him, and the peer said they liked him because of frequent check-ins that a) I didn't get and b) I would have hated; that was kind of neat to hear.

If you do get a manager you like, keep in touch. They'll probably be managing for their career and maybe they'll have opportunities when you want to move. I made a good impression with my skip manager at my first 'real job' during the interview and (at least) with a couple projects where we had meetings, and have been hired by him twice since then.

[ravenstine]

I'm not sure that would even be worth the time. There's very few times that I've had the same manager for more than maybe 1.5 years. Even if you somehow could find a job where you know the manager is good, there's a high probability that they will be replaced with a dolt. Maybe I'm just a pessimist, but I'm at a point where I have just accepted that most managers are lousy and to just work within that framework of suck.

[Dementor430]

Well, can't blame you for that. I've been thinking similar thoughts. Mainly looking at the economic recession we face though.