10 Tips For Becoming A Senior Developer

You've been working on the same team for over a decade and your skills surpass those of your co-workers by far. It sounds like a good idea to finally leave the company and start your own development firm. It's not just about making more money, though of course that's part of it. The bigger goal is to enjoy work more and put in more than 40-hour weeks without feeling too exhausted.

So, what actually happens when you resign? Is it possible to create your own firm and survive as a senior developer? We sat down to discuss the topic with Shahar Talman, Head of Applications Development at Ashokan Software.

1. Time commitment and work-life balance

When you work for a large corporation, you're subjected to long hours and high pressure. If you want to maintain a good lifestyle outside of work, this is not the way to go about it. You need to find smaller companies where fewer hours are required of the employees and enjoy your free time instead.

2. Know the development tools and tech stack you're working with

Before you start your own development firm, ask yourself if you're familiar with the tech used by the company. This means that before even getting down to work, you should have a clear understanding of the technology stack and tools that are required on your team.

You won't be able to develop a game on top of Unity if you don't know how it works -or any other tool in that regard. In addition, it helps to take part in conferences related to software development so you can learn what's new and take advantage of the latest trends when creating apps for clients (for instance).

3. Create a personal website and establish yourself as a senior developer

In order to establish your name, create a personal website where you present yourself and your skills. You can either make one of those simple webpages with boxes that describe the projects you've worked on or hire a developer to create a full-fledged prototype of your site. Make sure the design is appealing and responsive so it looks good on mobile devices.

One way or another, your website should give potential clients an opportunity to learn more about you and see how talented you are. (If you're a team of developers, each member should have their own profile page. You can also have a separate website for your company.)

4. Start small and work your way up to bigger projects

It makes sense to start in the SMB (small and medium business) sector. This kind of client is more flexible when it comes to payment terms and can agree to lower rates for development services. In case you're having trouble finding clients or orders don't come as expected, you may need to create a niche for yourself first.

For example, if you specialize in building mobile applications, promote your skills by mentioning that on your website, at conferences, etc. Also be ready to work on web apps if smartphones are not your strength.

5. Don't be shy about sharing your knowledge with others

When you start in a new company, it's a good idea to share your experience with others. Getting familiar with the development process is crucial in many ways, not only for yourself but for everyone else on the team.

As even a modest developer knows, without being able to explain exactly how things work, you can't expect someone to understand what you're doing and why you're solving certain problems in a certain way.

Your teammates will probably say thank you after that or ask questions about how you did it so they can use your approach themselves. So why not turn this into some kind of tutorial?

6. Share your knowledge and make it open-source

In order to be a senior developer and not just someone who knows how to do things, it's important that you share your knowledge. This can be as simple as writing about a certain approach for tackling a problem, an article on software development best practices or a whitepaper about new trends in the industry.

You can also present at conferences and write articles on the company's website, this will help you attract new clients and establish yourself as a professional in the industry.

7. Write software

As a senior developer, it goes without saying that you should be able to create code. It's a mistake to think you can rely solely on your knowledge and experience when creating software. You need to be able to reason about what you're doing and write code for the company's needs. This may sound challenging, but it's not impossible. You can learn how to code even as an adult and take online or evening classes to start practicing.

8. Use social media

There are also some things you should do on social media as a senior developer who wants to establish himself as a reputable professional in the world of development: first of all, create an account and make sure it looks professional (you can hire someone for this). Second, learn how to use it properly. Don't just add everyone who follows you and reply immediately to every post. That's not how social media really works. You need to engage with your followers and be consistent in your activity.

Post updates regularly and share articles that may be of interest to others as well. Finally, do some research before setting up a community website or similar project – at least make sure there isn't something like that already on the Internet and that your idea is original enough to attract people to visit it often.

9. Join committees and get involved with professional organizations

If you want to be a well-respected senior developer, it's important that you take part in technical committees for various organizations. These can be regular conferences that the company attends or private events where the company's executives can meet on neutral ground.

If you're willing to put yourself out there, you can also reach out to other companies and join employee associations (because there are some). You will be able to establish your expertise and help other developers if you're invited by a committee or board member.

10. Speak at conferences

Talking in front of groups of people is a great way to share your knowledge and establish yourself as a senior developer. You can also use this opportunity to promote your company's skills and expertise in the industry. If you're not an expert on all areas, you should pick one or two that you understand well and that are required for today's most common challenges.

Approach potential clients or representatives from the press who might be interested in your topic, tell them about your experience, what kind of projects you've worked on and how you were able to achieve certain results, etc.

These are just a few tips and recommendations that can help you become a better senior developer. Remember that being knowledgeable in one or two areas is not enough you also need to know how to apply the rules, use common sense and solve problems in an innovative way. All of these are crucial for your success, so try to follow our advice if you're serious about becoming a reputable senior developer.