Ask HN: Possible to work in “managerial” roles part time?
I'm currently deciding between doing my PhD in an unrelated field or starting a career in software engineering (currently interviewing with 2 large European startups that seem to have a great work culture.)
One of the biggest advantages of working in software for me would be the possibility to work 4 day weeks (32 hours) and still make a decent living. I'm not super passionate about it so I would see a career in the field more as a means to an end. After a few years, I would like to work in a more people-oriented position.
1. Are those goals (working 4 day weeks and working in a "managerial" position) mutually exclusive? Wouldn't a company expect it's "higher ups" to commit full time to their work? I.e. is there a glass ceiling in terms of salary/title for people who don't work at least full time?
2. I like going to the office regularly but I also LOVE the idea of working remotely for a long period, say 1-2 months every summer (currently doing it and it's amazing.) I'm sure it would be possible for a dev role, but does the same apply to a position like engineering manager?
3. I would also be interested in taking extended sabbaticals now and then (like unpaid time off.) I would imagine that would not be possible once you have a lot of responsibility at a company, except inbetween jobs?
I understand that a lot of these are absolute first-world problems. I'm just trying to weigh the pros and cons between tech and academia as accurately as possible. Thank you for any input!