1    As fall begins, my thoughts often turn to the future. One of the common questions for IT professionals thinking about the future is whether to pursue(从事) a career in management.

2     It’s a good time to think about this if you’ve been purely (纯粹地) technical for a long time. The coming wave of baby boomer(生育高峰期出生的人) retirements(退休) will leave plenty of management jobs available. But how do you know whether management is really for you?

3     Here are a few thoughts for the curious(好奇者).

Reasons to Not Go into Management:

4     Desire(欲望，渴望) for money. While management jobs can pay well, not all do. In fact, when I managed a large group, there were a number of purely technical people who reported to me who made more than I did. And I thought that was appropriate. Pay is not a matter of position, but of supply and demand. Rare(稀有的) and valuable technical skills may be worth more than relatively common management skills.

5     Desire for power. One of the best-kept secrets of management is that the higher up you go in an organization, the more — not less — dependent on others you become. Successful managers know that power is mostly an illusion (错觉). The more people you manage, the more your success is the sum total of theirs. Alone, you are just a person with some ideas. The desire to dominate(控制，主宰) generally foments(激起) coups(政变), not loyalty(忠诚) or productivity(生产力).

6     Desire for status(地位). There are lots of ways to earn the respect and admiration(羡慕) of your peers(同事，同伴). Becoming their manager is not one of them. In fact, when you start to manage a group of people who used to be your peers, they often, although not always, develop resentment(怨恨) and lose respect for you. Management can be a lonely job, even though you’re constantly surrounded by people.

7     Desire for easy work. The illusion of an easy life is another poor reason to go into management. You may think that the boss doesn’t work hard; he just goes to meetings. While the work of management is completely different from technical work, it’s not easy to do it well.

Reasons to Consider Management:

8     Desire to think about people and technology. Most of us who grew up technical think about machines. If you want to start to explore the complexities(复杂性) of humanity(人类), management is a good way to do it. But be prepared to change the ways you think. People problems often are not subject(易受…的) to the same forms of analysis(分析) that work so well on engineering problems.

9     Desire to help others grow. Good managers are also good teachers. They may not lecture, but they do think about how to help their people grow and develop. To be a good manager, you need to derive(得到) personal satisfaction(满足) from seeing others advance.

10     Desire to get things done. Management isn’t just about being warm and fuzzy(稀里糊涂的). You still need to get things done. If you have a strong desire to accomplish things in a work context(环境，氛围) and are willing to help other people do it with you, then management may be a good choice.

11     Obviously, I believe that management can be a great job and a noble(高尚的) calling, but it isn’t for everyone. Think carefully before you make a major commitment to a career change.

12     If you’re curious about management, talk to your boss about trying out a small assignment before you make a major commitment. You may find that it’s a great fit, or you may streak(飞跑，疾驰) back to the keyboard(键盘).

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1.The coming wave of baby boomer retirements will leave plenty of management jobs available.

生育高峰期出生的这波人即将退休，将会腾出大量的管理职位。

本句中的baby boomer指的是第二次世界大战后1947—1961年间在美国生育高峰期出生的人。

2.In fact, when I managed a large group, there were a number of purely technical people who reported to me who made more than I did.

事实上，我在管理一个大企业集团的时候，有很多从事纯技术性工作的人归我所管，但是挣得钱比我还多。

本句中的technical people后面跟上两个定语从句，第一个定语从句who reported to me指“隶属于我的那些人”，report to sb.意为“隶属于某人”。又如：

In this new job you will report to the director on all matters. 

担任这一新的职务后，一切有关事务你均应向主任负责。

3.One of the best-kept secrets of management is that the higher up you go in an organization, the more — not less — dependent on others you become.

管理行业最为严守的秘密之一就是你在一个组织的职位越高，你对别人的依赖就会更多而不是更少。

本句中that引导的是个表语从句，其中的the higher up you  go in an organization, the more — not less — dependent on others you become是个the more…, the more…这样的句型，需要特别注意。

4.People problems often are not subject to the same forms of analysis that work so well on engineering problems.

对于人的问题，你就常常无法采用那些对于工程问题行之有效的同样方式去分析。

本句中的be subject to sth. 意思是“易受…”。又如：

The child is subject to colds.

这孩子动不动就感冒。

5.To be a good manager, you need to derive personal satisfaction from seeing others advance.

要做一名好的经理，你一定要从看到他人的进步中得到个人的满足。

本句中的To be a good manager是不定式作目的状语；derive sth. from…是“从…得到”。又如：

I derive much pleasure from reading online.

我从在线阅读中得到很多乐趣。

6.If you’re curious about management, talk to your boss about trying out a small assignment before you make a major commitment.

如果你对管理工作感到好奇，那就和你的老板谈一谈，先尝试承担一项小任务，然后再承担大的责任。

本句中的try out 意思是“尝试；试验”。又如：

He has got the right man and wants to try him out on the job.

他找到了合适的人，想在实际工作中考察他一番。

make a major commitment 意思是“承担一份主要任务”，也就是管理一个大的项目。