Returning to the IC track in the age of AI

Considering a career shift?

By Vaidehi Joshi

September 10, 2026

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Key takeaways:

A third of engineering managers are considering returning to IC work.
The EM role has changed: more compressed, more expected, no consistent definition.
Demand favors ICs with judgment plus AI fluency. Pick which seat you navigate the shift from.

After a couple of years of being an engineering manager (EM), I recently found myself in the position of having to look for a new role. My first instinct was to look for positions similar to what I had been doing before.

I spent time preparing for EM interviews and even went through a few interview loops.

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