So what comes after Senior Developer?

Today I wanted to talk to you about a paradox I’ve recently become aware of.

?You see, I spend most of my day talking to software developers. I jump on calls, diagnose their problems and help them find clarity.

?Every single day.

?Do you know what I found out?

Most developers have no clue about their future!

Yes, you heard right.

Despite the countless articles, roadmaps, and courses, most developers don’t even know what career paths you can have as a developer.

And most importantly, they don’t know what would be the optimal path for them.

Let alone what you need to do to get there!

Well, if you don’t know what your next step will be. How are you going to prepare for it? You will be jumping around guessing and taking whatever comes your way.?

Not funny!

I don’t know about you, but whether it is doing the grocery or planning my future, I don’t like to mess around. Not with this kind of thing.?

So I am going to take advantage of this post and walk you through the different options you have ahead of you.??

Before I dive in, the first piece of advice is that you should not branch too soon.

Shortcuts are tempting, but my advice for any developer is first to become a proper senior developer and then branch out. The confidence of being able to write great software will serve you well during your whole career.

Now, we techies are blessed to live in a world of possibilities.?

There are dozens of things you can do once you master the art of software. For the sake of brevity, I will only outline the five most frequent career paths here:

• You can keep growing as an individual developer. After Senior, Principal Engineer and later on Architect will be the next steps. Here you will lead the team or company from a technical standpoint.
• Branch out into Management (if that’s your thing) and grow into an Engineering Manager with the possibility of becoming a CTO later. Remember, management is stressful; you will have tons of meetings, little time and resources. But if you like organizing things and people besides coding, you will have tons of fun here!
• Move into freelancing and get into business by yourself. If you value flexibility, cash, and being your own boss, this is for you. Just add some sales skills and build a network.?
• Get into Product. If you love building great products, a Technical Product Manager will allow you to have more influence and do just that. You will be less hands-on and won’t be able to get your hands dirty with the code as much.
• Build your own software startup. This is a highly risky decision that might fit some people but not others. Software is a highly complicated business with many moving pieces. You will have to build, market, sell, and do whatever it takes to survive. It is the hardest thing there is, and it might not pay off. But if that’s your thing, go for it!?

That’s it.?

?An important thing when planning your next step is taking a long-term perspective.

Think that you will be in this industry for the next 20 years. What would you do then? I bet you would focus on mastery instead of quick tricks. If you are going to do something for so long, better do it well.

That’s why the warning at the beginning of this article. If you want to be successful in this field, you have to stick around!?

To stick around, you gotta have fun doing it!?And to have fun, you gotta be good at it.

This brings me to my call to action :)

August has been a record month. We had more applications than ever. Even though we try to be as picky as possible, the extra spots for our Software Mastery are almost gone.

For a limited time, we are putting 3 extra spots out for people that could not sign up earlier. If you are interested in gaining complete confidence in your technical skills, getting to more Senior levels faster, and living life on your terms, apply here to see if you qualify! ?

You will get the chance to talk to me personally about your goals, and if we find a fit, we can discuss working together.?

Regardless, I hope these 5 career paths cleared the noise a bit.?

Enjoy the sunny days and take care!

Dragos