Sr. Software Engineer / Developer / Programmer Reviews - Page 26

You're finally here, a senior. You've likely got a junior or two under your wing. That's great, but remember, you're still not a lead. Listening is more important now than even the most earnest of agendas. Learning the business is your goal now. It won't always be pretty, so remember that business doesn't need fixing. It needs accommodation. Support it's efforts and you will thrive.

Never stop learning. Keep your skills fresh.

- Focus on making your code understandable. - Communicate by speaking other peoples language (e.g. Marketing personal will not understand technical descriptions) - Respect others, just because they lack technical understanding doesn't make them stupid.

The client is always right. Even when they are horribly wrong. It is STILL your job to explain (respectfully) why they are wrong, but a lot of the times you will need to swallow the swill and get the job done. Get it all in writing - you will need that if the project fails because of all the "wrongness". Project failure does not mean the end (often). Having things in writing often does not mean anything. Sometimes it means everything. Be prepared to do a HELL of a lot more than you thought you were going to do. Be prepared to deal with a LOT of legacy (code, frameworks, systems). READ. Read about new technology. Read about new frameworks, new/old design patterns, new trends. Try new things, but don't expect to take your "new" thing into production. Discuss with your peers! Don't be arrogant (you probably don't know half of what you need to know), and don't be afraid to ask questions (again, respectfully).

Always be learning new technologies. New software tools are constantly becoming available. Learn as many tools as you can so you can have many to choose from when a new problem arises.