You might think that the main tangible difference between a junior and a senior developer is the individual’s experience.
However, that’s not always the case. Plenty of developers with less experience can become senior developers, depending on their skills.
The life of a developer is not easy. There are a million lines of code that need to be written per day and the bugs never seem to stop.
With time, junior developers will perfect their craft and take the path toward achieving the goal of becoming senior developers.
But what really is the main distinction between a junior and senior developer? Even though you have more than 2 years of experience as a developer, are you really worthy of the title? Let’s take a look at how a junior can become a senior developer the right way.
Table of Contents
From Junior to Senior Developer: The Coding Career Path
Never stop learning
The main difference between a junior and a senior developer is the mentality. A junior developer will enjoy complacency while the senior will always be on the lookout for new ways to hone existing skills.
For instance, if a developer takes their work seriously and aims to write the code that can change the future back-end side of development, they will quickly look for new areas where they can improve their craft.
Nowadays, expanding your skillset is much easier than before. All you have to do is simply look for online courses in the field you want to develop in and show up for class. Full stack developer courses are always a good option for juniors that want to become seniors. Full stack development will allow you to work on both ends and gain experience twice as faster as you usually would.
Go beyond just coding
So, your main job is to develop and create. However, having a better understanding of how each facet of the process works, for instance, web development, will help you excel in your profession.
That being said, it’s never a bad idea to hear how the designers are planning their strategy and how the copywriter imagines the whole written content layout.
If you are working on interactive software applications, such as video games, it’s never a bad idea to check on the mechanics and other technical aspects of the game.
All of the additional knowledge will help you become a jack of all trades, provide and receive input faster, and allow you to aim for that senior developer title.
Pair up
Working with a team is always beneficial. On one hand, you will have an additional keyboard helping you solve that big problem that’s been bothering you the whole day.
On the other hand, you will have a different perspective on particular topics.
Working alone can be rewarding but in small quantities, working with a team will be a learning experience each time you do it.
So, the best course of action for developers straight out of the classroom is to pair up with someone they enjoy working with.
It will be even better if you can find a senior developer that is willing to work with you.
You can have one eye on the code you are writing and the other on the senior developer’s monitor, observing a master at work.
Set challenges
If you are working for a company, there are probably a million sticky notes slapped on the wall outlining the monthly goals and challenges. The reward for achieving a certain challenge can be very alluring, but should you really be aiming for a material prize?
If you are new to coding, you will have to try to meet the requirements set by your management. However, it’s more important to set your own goals and challenges and work on actually achieving them. Each completed challenge can be expanded upon and you will start feeling that no one can stop you on your path to reaching the title of senior developer.
Bottom line
Becoming a senior developer is not a fast and easy process. You will have to hone your skills daily and improve where you are lacking.
Online courses are always a good option and in addition to that, you should never exclude teamwork and pair programming from the agenda. Set yourself up for challenges and go beyond just coding.
