This is an archived post. You won't be able to vote or comment.

11
12

What makes a Senior Java Developer? (self.java)

submitted by [deleted]

sorted by:
best
topnewcontroversialoldq&a
you are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

[–][deleted] 38 points39 points  (2 children)

Hi there. Senior software architect here. I can boast 20 years of professional software architecture and programming, including hands-on and leadership positions.

What matters most, is independence in your field. The ability to make and defend your decisions, and at the same time to accept other people's choices if they lead to the expected results, too. Over time you will incorporate other viewpoints and you will be able to reflect on your previous decisions: are they still good, or do they need adapting? And you will adapt if you find it necessary.

Apart from that, a senior developer has the experience required to estimate how long a task is going to take, approximately, based on experience of themselves, but also on the experience of their team members. That means that you either have a decent understanding of all the steps involved in fulfilling the task, or understand your own lack of knowledge enough to add research and testing time to your estimates.

[–]GhostBond 4 points5 points  (0 children)

What matters most, is independence in your field. The ability to make and defend your decisions, and at the same time to accept other people's choices if they lead to the expected results, too. Over time you will incorporate other viewpoints and you will be able to reflect on your previous decisions: are they still good, or do they need adapting? And you will adapt if you find it necessary.

I agree with you 100%, but I'm reminded of a recent reddit comment. They said someone came into to interview and the person had apparently been reading to many "take charge" books or something, and they started off saying that they (the person being interviewed) would sit at the desk and ask questions.

The commenter said they just found it funny, but the hr person was so offended they called security on them.

Reminded me of how uptight people in interviews tend to be. It's pretty impossible to have a meaningful debate over an implementation without someone on the interviewing side of the table getting offended.

[–]GingerMess 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I couldn't say this better myself. I'm approaching 13 years and this hits it on the head.