From Junior to Senior: 5 Principles You Will Embody On Your Software Development Career Path

In order to become a senior or lead developer, you're going to need to embody a handful of principles.

I've worked as a software developer for over 8 years, across various large companies and start-ups. During that time, I worked my way up from an apprentice software developer (I started working as a developer right when I left school while studying for my degree part-time) to senior-level roles.

As part of this process, I adopted 5 key principles that signified I was moving from a junior or mid-level role to a senior role. Every senior developer embodies these principles in one way or another.

Why am I boring you with this? Well, career progression in software development is a confusing process; the field is so vast and there are so many nuances between different companies and sectors. Therefore, I've prepared a "Grocery list" of the 5 key milestones that you must hit in order to perform at the level of a senior developer and advance your career.

By aiming to master the 5 principles below, I hope you'll be able to turbo-charge your career and become one of the most valuable developers in your company.

#1: Look at the bigger picture - focus on the project, not the task

Senior developers see the bigger picture.

Why is this crucial? As a junior to intermediate developer, it's common to have a laser focus on the code or task at hand, solving immediate problems and completing tasks as assigned. While this is important, it's just one part of the larger puzzle. To become a successful senior developer, you need to move beyond this stage and start seeing how every piece of code fits into the broader project scope.

Looking at the bigger picture means understanding the entire architecture of the software you're working on. It's about knowing how each component interacts with other components, how data flows between them, and how changes in one area impact another. It's about understanding the business objectives behind the project you're working on and how your technical decisions can influence those objectives.

Moreover, by focusing on the project instead of just individual tasks, you will naturally start to think more strategically. You become better at anticipating potential pitfalls and planning accordingly. You learn to prioritise your work based on what brings the most value to the project as a whole.

This also applies to the systems and processes used by your team. As a senior developer, it's down to you to shape the systems and processes that make development smoother, faster, and more efficient.

This could involve introducing better version control practices, setting up automated testing, or refining the process of code reviews. These efforts increase the team's overall productivity, reduce the potential for errors, and lead to the creation of higher-quality software.

So, how do you get started?

• Start asking questions about the broader project and business goals.

• Learn about the overall architecture of your software and how your tasks fit into it.

• Begin thinking about how your code affects the system as a whole.

As you do this, you'll find that your understanding of your role in the project becomes clearer and you become a more efficient and effective developer.

It's this shift in perspective that truly marks the transition from an intermediate to a senior developer.

#2: Take Responsibility

When you write software, mistakes are almost a guarantee.

However, what distinguishes a senior developer is not the absence of errors, but how they handle these situations when they arise. As you progress in your career, it's not about writing flawless code, but about how you manage and resolve issues. And that, is a massive part of taking responsibility.

Taking responsibility is about owning your tasks, decisions, and, yes, even your mistakes. It's about acknowledging when something went wrong on your end and then, crucially, learning from it and fixing it. It's about not shifting the blame onto others or circumstances, but looking at what you could have done differently.

This accountability fosters trust with your team and leads to better overall performance. It shows that you're someone who can be relied upon.

Taking responsibility also means proactively looking for ways to improve processes, suggest new ideas, and drive changes. It's about not waiting to be told what to do, but recognising what needs to be done and taking the initiative to do it.

So again, how do you get started taking on more responsibility?

Start small. Be proactive in your tasks and projects.

If you see a problem or an opportunity for improvement, speak up. If you make a mistake, own it, fix it, and learn from it.

Practice transparency in your actions and decisions, by taking responsibility not just for your successes, but also your failures.

And remember, taking responsibility isn't just about taking the blame when things go wrong, but about owning the entire process, good and bad, from start to finish.

#3: Design code, don’t just write it

When you start in software development, the focus rests on learning syntax, figuring out logic, and implementing features. It's like learning to write sentences in a new language. But, as you progress, it becomes less about writing those sentences and more about crafting a meaningful story.

This 'story' is the architecture of the software you're building.

Designing code involves understanding and effectively using design patterns, considering the scalability of your solutions, and thinking about how your code will evolve over time. It's about writing code that is not just functional, but also efficient, maintainable, and easily understandable by others.

This shift in perspective is what separates a senior developer from their junior counterparts.

Start by learning about design patterns and principles. Apply them to your tasks where suitable and see how they improve your code's structure and readability.

Think about the long-term implications of the code you write. Will it be easy to maintain and extend in the future? Will other developers be able to understand what you've done?

Lastly, remember that designing code doesn't mean you're expected to produce the perfect architecture on your first try. It's an iterative process. So, don't be afraid to refactor and redesign as you gain more insights. In fact, that's a part of the process.

#4: Help others around you, and accept their help in return

No one has all the answers.

The most successful developers are those who recognise that learning and problem-solving are collaborative efforts. As you grow in your career, your technical skills will undoubtedly be important, but so too will be your ability to work within a team, to communicate effectively, and to help others.

Helping others isn't just about giving advice or solving their issues. It's also about fostering an environment where knowledge is shared, where everyone feels comfortable asking questions and contributing their ideas.

This cultivates a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

Likewise, being open to receiving help means acknowledging that everyone, regardless of their level, has something valuable to offer. It's about learning to ask for assistance when you need it and listening to the feedback and ideas of others.

Therefore, make sure you look for opportunities to support your colleagues. This could be anything from helping a teammate debug an issue, sharing an article you found helpful, or even just taking the time to explain a concept they're struggling with.

Additionally, when you're stuck on a task, don't hesitate to ask for help. Remember, seeking assistance isn't a sign of weakness, but a recognition of the fact that two heads are often better than one.

By helping others and embracing help in return, you'll not only become a better developer yourself, but you'll also be contributing to the growth and success of your entire team.

#5: Be realistic - account for things to go wrong and be prepared

Software development is filled with unpredictability.

Bugs will appear, deadlines may be tight, requirements can change mid-project, and the perfect code you wrote today might (scratch that, will) need refactoring tomorrow.

It's the nature of the beast.

Embracing this reality rather than resisting it, is a hallmark of a mature developer.

To be realistic, you'll have to accept that not everything will go smoothly and incorporate that understanding into your work. You'll need to plan for contingencies, write testable code, document your work properly, and expect iterations.

Start by cultivating the habit of considering 'what could go wrong' when planning your tasks, writing your code, and most importantly, when you're giving estimates for how long tasks will take.

Chances are, whatever task you are estimating will take longer than you initially expect. Practice adding time buffers to your estimates to account for unknown issues. This isn't pessimistic thinking. It's realistic and leads to better quality software.

Also, make sure you ask yourself the following questions when estimating a task and picking up pieces of work:

• Do you have error handling in place?

• Are there edge cases you haven't accounted for?

• Could there be performance issues with larger data sets?

• Are there automated tests in place to catch potential bugs?

By accounting for things to go wrong and being prepared, you not only manage your projects more effectively, but you also decrease stress on your team, improve your code quality, and ultimately become a more proficient and reliable developer.

Finally, remember, every senior developer was once in your shoes, as a junior or intermediate developer, eager to grow and learn.

Your journey might be challenging, and there will be hurdles to overcome, but with focus, dedication, and a constant hunger for knowledge, you can climb the ladder and become one of the most well-respected developers in any team you work in.

It's important to remember that you're not alone in this journey. Every challenge you face, every problem you encounter, is an opportunity to learn and improve. So, keep coding, keep learning, and keep pushing your boundaries.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further advice.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, good luck and happy coding!