You’re Going Through Software Engineer Puberty
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Junior software developers are busy taking over the industry, but while they’re at it there’s another type of developer that’s rising hot on their heels. These engineers are the inevitable next step in the journey of the professional developer. They are intermediate engineers.
Most smaller organizations don’t have a standard classification for developers who have too much experience to be a junior, but don’t have senior-level chops. These individuals don’t usually have a distinct title outside of ‘[Insert Flavor] Developer’, and they are characterized by the rapid growth of both their responsibilities and skill set.
James Hickey describes this stage as developer puberty, and I think the description is apt. He says that these individuals are identified by ‘[A] mental urge or “pull” to believe that they actually know everything they need to know’. I agree with this description. Developers who are in this phase in their growth have somewhat of a benign arrogance, believing they’ve got it figured out, much like a teenager who believes her parents have it all wrong. Like teenagers, intermediate developers…
