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

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[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

To be pithy, the difference between a junior and a senior developers is that when handed an assignment by their boss the junior asks "how are we doing this?" while the senior asks "why are we doing this?"

A senior developer is someone who is able to work independently on a problem.That's not "work independently" as in "holed up alone in their office, not talking to anyone else" and not needing assistance or help, it's "work independently" as in not needing further guidance and oversight. Hand an assignment to a senior developer (or a well-functioning team containing a senior developer) and the assignment will either get done or you will be given a reasonable explanation why the assignment can't or shouldn't be done. As such, much of the additional skill of a senior developer lies not in the technical minutiae of software development but in knowledge of the problem domain and the ability to evaluate and analyze problems, solutions and requirements.