the one thing Seniors know that Juniors don’t
Here’s a piece of advice for every developer looking to switch jobs in the next 3 months… "If you want to get a job in this market, sell expertise, not skills." What do I mean? Expertise is what you…
Sep 6, 2023 · 2 MIN READ
Here’s a piece of advice for every developer looking to switch jobs in the next 3 months…
"If you want to get a job in this market, sell expertise, not skills."
What do I mean?
Expertise is what you get after you put the skills into practice.
Is the real-world stuff.
You can read a book like “You Don’t Know JS” and still be the same dev as before. You will have more knowledge of JavaScript, but that doesn’t mean more expertise.
This is why reading a book doesn’t get you a promotion.
Because expertise is what you get after applying those concepts in real life, expertise takes time.
It takes trial and error.
Back to the JavaScript example.
Knowing that scope and closures do matter because they are key managing variables and data. And knowing that the “with” statement… doesn’t matter much. Which is why most of you haven’t even heard about it.
When companies say they pay for “experience,” they pay you for mistakes you’ve made in the past for others and what you learned from them.
People want the outcome without the cost—the expertise.
And guess what?
The more expertise you have, the less you worry about AI and GPT.
Because, as far as I know, those machines don’t live in the real world. They can’t go out there, apply what they know, and iterate (at least for now).
When you understand that:
- You stop doing unit testing courses and start unit testing the code you are working with on a daily basis.
- You stop chasing the latest JavaScript Framework and focus on how the browser itself processes that JavaScript.
- You stop learning things and start solving problems.
That is a recipe for exponential growth in this software business.
And I call it a business because it is one. Some call it a craft. With AI and low code around the corner, the crafting days are counted. The professional age has begun.
Keep that in mind, and you will be ahead of 95% of developers still stuck in the old model.
Do you want my team and I to help you make this transition? Check what we have to offer here. If you are interested, apply for a chat with me here <https://www.theseniordev.com/apply> to see if you qualify!
Does that mean you have to throw away all your books?
Nope.
But take it easy on them. Focus on mixing that knowledge with real-world experience. And don’t blame yourself if you can't finish them.
They are not made to be finished.
They are made to sell.
Take care, Dragos
P.S. Given the amount of people in the market right now, it is also more important to be first rather than to be the best. The best won't even get their CV read :) So pay attention to those job boards and make sure you are in the top 10 fist candidates that apply!
