You don’t need to know everything to be a Senior Software Engineer, but focus on these

I’m a Senior Software Engineer, and I will share what this role is really about.

I spend most days working on company and side projects to tackling problems that not clearly defined. It’s a job that challenges me to think, adapt, and grow every day.

Here are 5 key skills that help me:

1. Strong fundamentals

it’s very important to understand the basics. You need to master fundamentals like algorithms, data structures, and system design, those are the building blocks that you’ll rely on every day.

2. Quick learning

During the job, often you need to use new tools or technologies that you’ve never touched before. It’s very important to learn them quickly so you can get the job done.

3. Resilience

Sometimes the solution you choose might not works on the first time. So you need resilience to keep trying and figuring out until you get the right answer. Always learn from failure and improve from previous mistakes.

4. Staying updated with the latest tech

Tech is always changing, and things like new tools and frameworks pop up all the time. To keep up, you need to learn new things quickly and find out is there a better solution for x? but don’t apply new tech blindly, always compare the tradeoffs first.

5. Understanding the business

Your role isn’t just about writing code, but also solving real problems that matter to the business and users. You need to understand the company’s goals, see the bigger picture and focus on delivering impacts.

Being a Senior Software Engineer doesn’t means you need to know everything, but you need to focus on what matters.

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