1. Know Your Job

Shortly said, when you can handle the entire development cycle, end to end.

Most developers can quickly master the syntax of particular programming languages, but that does not mean a Senior developer has mastered all syntaxes. A Senior must be a master of syntax by default, plus possess many other skills.

A software development cycle includes the following steps:

1. Collect requirements based on customer needs
2. Choose programming methods and technical solutions that fit the requirements and the development team.
3. Operate the continuous delivery process to bring the product to fruition.
4. Troubleshooting issues
5. Provide guidance to other developers to help them contribute to the development process.
6. Estimate development time.

Depends on each developer’s abilities; some can tackle all phases in 2 years, while others may take 10 years, or even never for some reasons that I will mention at the end of this post as well.

2. Know Your Skills

From the above steps, we can deduce some skills that a Senior must have to perform the job:

1. Be patient enough to listen to customers and understand their real needs
2. Have a strong understanding of UI/UX to offer solutions. Customers usually come with the imagination of the best scenario, but most of the time, bad things happen.
3. Can explain technical terms to non-tech customers. Sometimes we need the customer to empathize with the development team on how difficult a feature can be, or why some features are more expensive than others, or why something is impossible.
4. Experience in some programming paradigms. The most popular paradigm today is Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), but besides it, Functional Programming and Reactive Programming are rising too. Each paradigm has its own pros and cons. Each language, depending on its features, can be classified into one or multiple programming paradigms. For example, Java is an OOP language, but since Java 8, it has some libraries designed in functional styles. JavaScript is functional from the beginning, but today it supports OOP style too. The pros and cons of each paradigm can make writing code for certain types of requirements harder or easier, and affect the amount of code written. Thus, it is important that a Senior developer understands as much as possible about different programming paradigms to ensure the maximum quality of code with minimum effort. This is why firms are willing to pay much more for someone who is truly Senior.
5. Know how to integrate with popular third-party services. These services focus on solving common issues for features such as sending and managing emails, uploading and downloading files, or billing, etc. Integrating with third parties helps to avoid reinventing the wheel, reducing errors and development time.
6. Proficient with command lines and shell scripts. Most processes of packaging products use command lines. Some modern IDEs provide features to package the product; we can use them instead of command lines. However, in certain situations, such as deploying web servers or automatically building mobile applications, we need to use command lines. A senior in any product role must know how to build their application using only the command line. An IDE is a convenient tool but should not be overly relied upon.
7. Proficient with version control tools such as GitHub. The development process involves a lot of code changes from many developers—some good, some bad, some worthy, some trashy, and some full of risks. Seniors must frequently review other codes to consistently aim for the highest code quality.
8. Proficient with debugging techniques to find out the root cause of issues. Most IDEs today support breakpoints to stop the program at any point so that developers can double-check everything. In some situations, we have to use console logs to figure out the problem.
9. Can quickly understand the source code and project structure, as well as business concepts, to quickly diagnose issues.
10. Can create automation tests to detect issues early after each code change.
11. Have knowledge of computer architecture and system design to provide optimized solutions when the application hits its limitations.
12. Skilled in technical explanation, offering guidance and support to junior developers, as well as collaborating with other senior team members.
13. Proficient in technical writing to contribute to the team’s knowledge base.
14. Have a few achievements in the past, such as completed features, successful projects, and proven optimization solutions.
15. Have a sense of development time. Being able to give a reasonable estimate of time is a point that proves a developer has thoroughly experienced the development process.

To acquire the above abilities, there is no way but to practice. The point is we should know what to practice. Experience is not about the number of years you have been working; it is about the number of things you have done. Most importantly, external validation is not necessary. You don’t need to wait for a validation exam or certificates to call yourself a Senior, especially in the software development world. As I know, there is no official contest to generate titles for developers, but the modernity of the current world is cultivated by many no-title heroes. We give respect to those who contribute.

3. How To Practice

There are many ways to practice: through your work, in your free time, or by taking courses. I would like to suggest the following:

1. If you have a chance, take on some small outsourcing projects. This will expose you to the entire development process and help you become familiar with customer needs.
2. If there is no chance to find outsourcing projects, create one for yourself as a personal project. Do any application idea that you wish to have!
3. If you have no idea, just try cloning some famous applications.
4. Watch tech conferences. It’s easy to find them on YouTube now. This will keep you up to date on technology fields, and listening to experts is the best way to learn.
5. Read books about related subjects such as UI/UX design, design patterns, system designs, operating systems, or even management if you are interested, as well as psychology if you feel you are having trouble talking to clients. Books can gradually feed you knowledge in an organized way, and someday it will all be useful. Don’t expect any one book to change your life; one thousand books can!
6. Be curious! Spend your free time learning new technology; compare it to what you already know to see the differences, the improvements, or a new way to solve an old problem.
7. Write down everything. Don’t trust your memory; writing is a good way to learn again and learn more deeply.
8. Practice explaining complex and abstract concepts by talking to friends or writing blogs like I do. 🙂

4. What Holds You Back from Evolving?

And last but not least, what will prevent you from leveling up? According to me:

1. Doing the same tasks in the same way for a long time limits your perspective; you won’t gain a broad enough view or a deep understanding.
2. Too Passive. Remember that you are the change you need! Never wait for a chance from somebody. People are tired enough of finding chances for themselves.
3. Reject reading or learning.
4. Be satisfied with what you know. You never know what you don’t know!

This post offers some thoughts intended to provide more detail about the abstract term “Senior” in the software development world. I hope this can help developers double-check their career status or assist individuals in other fields in understanding the important criteria when finding or hiring developers.

Build – Secure – Evolve with the-tech-lead.com