Three tracks hiring teams typically use
Individual contributors deepen craft and scope — harder systems, bigger surfaces, more ambiguity. Managers take responsibility for other people’s output, hiring, and rituals. Specialists (security, data, design systems, tax, clinical) go deep in a domain that several teams need.
Titles vary. Read the JD for people responsibility, on-call, and decision rights. Do not chase “lead” if the post is an IC role with a fashionable name.
How to show the path on a resume
IC resumes emphasize shipped outcomes and technical or craft decisions. Manager resumes must still show judgment, plus hiring, coaching, and stakeholder load. Mixed roles should split bullets so parsers and humans can see both.
Use the resume examples guide for seniority structure, then upload in the JobBucket apps so one profile supports the path you actually want.
Switching tracks
Moving IC to manager without having staffed or run a ritual is a hard sell. Moving manager back to IC is easier when recent bullets still show personal output. Specialist moves need domain proof, not only interest.
Search JobBucket for the destination title and compare must-haves. Employers can write clearer levels in a structured vacancy — start free, ATS from ₹1,499/mo — which helps candidates self-select.