u/QuestionGlad2410

Been building safety-critical infrastructure for a giant government railway system for over a decade. Zero FAANG on my resume, zero coding /IT DNA. Somehow have a referral into Google TPM (Technical program manager) roles (data center + fiber infra) and now I'm wondering if I accidentally speedran a midlife crisis. Anyone in TPM/infra at Google — is this a real shot or should I sit back down?

Been building safety-critical infrastructure for a giant government railway system for over a decade. Zero FAANG on my resume, zero coding /IT DNA. Somehow have a referral into Google TPM roles (data center + fiber infra) and now I'm wondering if I accidentally speedran a midlife crisis. Anyone in TPM/infra at Google — is this a real shot or should I sit back down?

Background, briefly:

\* 12 yrs in Indian Railways Signal & Telecom (IRSSE) — mainline signalling and telecom infra delivery, vendor/contractor management, safety-critical compliance, multi-zone program execution. PMP certified.

M.E. From IISc, started out as a chip design/DFT engineer before moving into IR.

\* Applied to two Google TPM reqs: (1) Data Center TPM (Hyderabad/Vizag) and (2) Fiber Infrastructure TPM (Vizag) — got a referral for #1 from a friend at Google (different org, no direct pull)

\* Real relevant experience: outdoor fiber (OFC) laying/maintenance, ring/mesh network topology operations, IP-MPLS capacity work — all on our own captive network.

\* I don't have direct hyperscale data center experience, although I've worked with mission-critical control rooms, data loggers, and railway telecom infrastructure.

My questions are:

1. Based on this background, do I have a realistic chance, or would my resume likely be rejected?

2. Which of the two roles is a better fit?

3. If I'm currently not competitive, what skills or certifications (Python, Linux, networking, data center, automation, etc.) would make the biggest difference?

4. Would you recommend applying now, or first gaining experience elsewhere?

People in FAANG or who have FAANG experience may throw some light. TIA

Genuinely curious and would love real insight from people inside FAANG or adjacent big tech.

Most FAANG discussion online is about SWE roles and LeetCode. But I rarely see anything about people from non-IT / non-software backgrounds getting in — especially into managerial or program/project roles.

I come from a core engineering background (not software) — safety-critical systems, large-scale project delivery, team management, that kind of world. Strong technical foundation, just not from the coding/CS side.

So my questions to the folks who actually know:

1. Can non-IT people realistically get into FAANG at all? Or is it effectively a closed door without a CS/software background?

2. Which roles are actually open to non-software people? I keep hearing "Technical Program Manager," "Program Manager," "Product Manager," "Operations" — but how true is that, and which ones genuinely take people from other engineering domains?

3. What qualifications / profile actually matter for these roles? MBA? PMP? Domain expertise? Specific certifications? Or is it all about experience and interview performance?

4. What would give a non-IT person an edge? For example — would deep domain expertise in a specific industry (say, hardware, automotive, infra, safety systems) be an advantage for certain FAANG teams? Are there specific divisions (cloud, hardware, autonomous, industry solutions) that value non-CS backgrounds more?

For anyone who made the jump from a non-software field into FAANG — how did you do it, and what surprised you?

Not looking for a magic shortcut, just trying to understand whether this is a realistic path and what it actually takes. Any honest input appreciated 🙏

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Hey all Looking for some honest perspective from people in the corporate engineering world. I have masters from a top institute.

I'm a railway signalling engineer in a govt job — cleared through UPSC, been in the service about 12 years. Safety-critical systems work. I've learned a lot, but I'm feeling like I've hit a ceiling and want to explore the private sector(MNC's) while the timing still makes sense.

The companies I'd realistically fit into are the global rail majors with engineering centres in India — the usual names in signalling and rail systems. Mostly Bangalore-based roles. I'm targeting senior manager-level roles, not entry level.

Few things I'm trying to figure out:

1. For someone with ~12 yrs experience moving into a manager-level role at these MNCs, what kind of CTC is realistic these days? I keep hearing wildly different numbers.

2. How's the fixed vs variable split usually at manager level? Trying to understand actual in-hand.

3. Is leaving a secure govt job at 36 a crazy move? Part of me feels the timing is right, part of me worries about the "what if it doesn't work out" angle.

4. For those who've made the govt → private jump — what surprised you most? Good or bad.

Not asking anyone to decide for me, just want some grounded real-world input. Thanks a lot 🙏

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Hey all Looking for some honest perspective from people in the corporate engineering world. I have masters from a top institute.

I'm a railway signalling engineer in a govt job — cleared through UPSC, been in the service about 12 years. Safety-critical systems work. I've learned a lot, but I'm feeling like I've hit a ceiling and want to explore the private sector(MNC's) while the timing still makes sense.

The companies I'd realistically fit into are the global rail majors with engineering centres in India — the usual names in signalling and rail systems. Mostly Bangalore-based roles. I'm targeting senior manager-level roles, not entry level.

Few things I'm trying to figure out:

1. For someone with \\\~12 yrs experience moving into a manager-level role at these MNCs, what kind of CTC is realistic these days? I keep hearing wildly different numbers.

2. How's the fixed vs variable split usually at manager level? Trying to understand actual in-hand.

3. Is leaving a secure govt job at 36 a crazy move? Part of me feels the timing is right, part of me worries about the "what if it doesn't work out" angle.

4. For those who've made the govt → private jump — what surprised you most? Good or bad.

Not asking anyone to decide for me, just want some grounded real-world input. Thanks a lot 🙏

Hey all Looking for some honest perspective from people in the corporate engineering world. I have masters from a top institute.

I'm a railway signalling engineer in a govt job — cleared through UPSC, been in the service about 12 years. Safety-critical systems work. I've learned a lot, but I'm feeling like I've hit a ceiling and want to explore the private sector(MNC's) while the timing still makes sense.

The companies I'd realistically fit into are the global rail majors with engineering centres in India — the usual names in signalling and rail systems. Mostly Bangalore-based roles. I'm targeting senior manager-level roles, not entry level.

Few things I'm trying to figure out:

1. For someone with \~12 yrs experience moving into a manager-level role at these MNCs, what kind of CTC is realistic these days? I keep hearing wildly different numbers.

2. How's the fixed vs variable split usually at manager level? Trying to understand actual in-hand.

3. Is leaving a secure govt job at 36 a crazy move? Part of me feels the timing is right, part of me worries about the "what if it doesn't work out" angle.

4. For those who've made the govt → private jump — what surprised you most? Good or bad.

Not asking anyone to decide for me, just want some grounded real-world input. Thanks a lot 🙏

​

Hello, Is anyone working with the following companies in bangalore :

1)ALSTOM,

2. SIEMENS Mobility

3. Hitachi rail,

4. AECOM

5. Wabtec corp

6. WSP india

7. Systra.

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I just want to know the work culture, WLB, Pay (CTC), perks etc in these companies for Engineering management or Program manager roles with 14 YOE in railway Signalling domain.

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Hello, most of the reddit posts revolve around tech/IT jobs. Wanted to know about Non-IT roles. I am planning to switch my job from government to a Non-IT managerial roles like program manager, chief project manager etc in infrastructure companies. Can anyone tell me the CTC ranges for such roles In bangalore so that I can better negotiate during my interviews. I have a total of 14 years work experience. My current CTC in govt is around 45 LPA.

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Note: I don't have CS or IT background