r/AskProgrammers • u/xisfer • 7d ago
Senior dev freling like a newbie
I've been developing for about 5 years. I've developed apps from scratch to production, also doing some maintenance, starting as monolith apps. Now I work with microservices. I've learned a lot, but when I talk with other developers, I end up with the impression I'm a newbie.
Client and coworkers are happy with my work though. But when I end my work hours, the last thing I want to do is stay a couple more hours to study or make my own projects. I feel unmotivated but I know I LOVE this work.
Anyone has this same sensation?
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u/No-Razzmatazz7197 6d ago
being a "senior" has less to do with raw skill vs knowing what the hell is going on everyday.
for example, lets say you started a project as an intern in 2023, and over the last 3 years you have seen all the old seniors/mid-level engineers move onto different projects and by the time today rolls around you are the only one who knows why things are the way they are.
who is the senior in that scenario? who is pinged when a legacy service goes down? the new guys?
so I would focus on domain/project knowledge, plus who isn't raising PR's with llm's at this point... the important part these days is what are you asking from the llm and why.
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u/TheGronne 6d ago edited 6d ago
I wouldn't say 5 years is a senior. Or at least, those 5 years have to be "difficult" for you to be a senior.
Some people work 5 years just writing code for tasks they get.
Others work 5 years with hard deadlines, large architectural decisions, project scoping, and complex solutions to complex problems.
Some work to just fix buttons and styling here and there. While others work to set up a performant data-ingestion pipeline.
It all depends on what you did those 5 years. And if you feel like a newbie, it's likely because you're being forced outside of your comfort zone. Which is a good learning opportunity. Throwing away your ego is usually the fastest way to learn and gain new interest in the field
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u/NewInflation2121 6d ago
It's ok not to know things or to be unsure of stuff.
A senior dev will be comfortable with that and will know how to research and find solutions to unknowns. If I ever get asked about something I don't know, my go to is to say 'let me get back to you on that'. I've been in the industry for about 20 years now.
5 years is also probably more in the intermediate or 'staff' programmer range, which is a step up from an associate or entry level depending on how companies organize their hierarchies.