5 Tools to Grow from a Junior to Senior Developer

All juniors aspire to become a great senior developer. Seniors are often highly regarded by their team, company and client. Who wouldn't want to grow into a top developer?

In this issue, we're going to look at the 5 concepts that you can start implementing today to help you quickly (and effectively) grow from a junior to a senior developer.

Let’s dive in.

Understand the problem

The best seniors I've worked with do a lot of planning and research before they write a single line of code.

They ensure they fully understand the problem, why it needs to be solved and have a good idea on how to solve.

Juniors tend to jump right into the code and try to figure things out while coding. Seniors have a plan of attack that they effectively execute on.

Take the time to understand the problem before you code and you'll already have a leg up on most developers.

Always be learning

Seniors know more than juniors. That's an obvious fact.

There are two ways to close the gap in knowledge:

1. Wait for projects to come your way that will help you learn new things or deepen your knowledge
2. Actively seek to learn more and fill the gaps in your knowledge

The first comes with time. The second comes with intent. If you do both, you'll become a top developer in no time and, most importantly, you'll stay a top developer because you're constantly learning the new technologies.

Take your growth into your own hands instead of waiting for projects that will teach you new things. Find something. Dive deep. Apply it to your work. People will notice and you'll grow fast.

Find a mentor and a mentee

Mentors can guide you and show you how to become a better developer. You can learn from their experiences and mistakes so that you can accelerate your own growth. Pro tip: have more than one mentor so you can gain a more rounded perspective. I have 5 or 6 that I'm conversing with in any given week.

Mentees can help you grow as a leader and therefore, help you shine as a senior. Don't wait until you're a senior to find someone to train. Great seniors have already been helping others long before the title change. Being a senior is less about the position and more about the approach to helping others. Start now.

Map out your path

Every company has their own definitions and specific hoops that you'll need to jump through in order to grow. That's normal and unfortunately, something that most people are afraid of.

Personally, I love it.

This is an advantage. A cheat sheet. Ask your boss/mentor/manager what the criteria is for a senior and what you're missing. Get feedback and then make changes. Treat your career like an agile project. Build - get feedback - adjust.

Doing this will show your company that you're taking an active interest in growing your career and will show you the specific steps that you need to take in order to move up the ranks.

Look for opportunities

The best seniors I've worked with have all earned their respect.

They didn't wait for the title or permission to start leading or helping others. They saw a chance and they took it.

Look for opportunities where you can be a mentor to an individual or where you can lead the team. Being a senior isn't about the title. It's about using your knowledge to help others and lead a team.

Seek out those opportunities to prove your seniority and you'll quickly get noticed.

See you again next week.

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Join my community on LinkedIn and engage with me directly (1,700+ followers)
2. Set up a 1:1 coaching session with me (20+ students) [Booked out 2-3 weeks]
3. Reach out to Origen Software for any potential projects (for founders and start-ups)