I just got a job as a Senior Backend. Interview was interesting but easy imho: 1. little coding project (30 minutes, very easy) 2. onsite System Design, FANG style, whiteboard with the classics of scalability and security. 3. onsite LeetCode on a whiteboard 4. onsite mixed stuff (http code, when do you use this or that) In my previous experience I never used some of the common tools Seniors are supposed to use I guess, like AWS/Google Cloud services (I used Heroku and private servers), and I have a small intro to Docker, so now I'm a bit concerned I'll be behind once I'll start. I'm now wondering if these are in reality nice to have for many companies while communication has much more value as I imagine. Is there something I should absolutely know as a senior backend which otherwise might lead to getting fired?
I would trust the confidence they have in your experience. You are probably more experienced enough than the devs at that company that they think Senior makes sense for you at that company. Maybe you would still be L4 at Amazon.
The thing is that my career path has not been a typical one. I've done a 2 years career break to travel, worked in 3rd world countries pro bono, done freelancing, worked on blockchain and medical research projects as a Lead Dev, but from a startup/corporate point of view all this is a bit different.
I think you should try it out. Sounds like you have been doing great at “fake it till you make it” thus far, and frankly I believe the best devs are. Find a mentor in the company and be a leader to those below you.
OP, seniority is not just about tech skills but also about leadership. Read as ability to deliver projects large and complex while guiding other developers. It's easier to learn to use Docker than to lead a team.
Also, congrats on your new role. Now figure out what your managers expectations are and overdeliver on them.
This is what I also think. These so called "soft skills" are overlooked sometimes and teams prefer the wizard able to deliver everything and use any language. Let's see, exciting times are coming.
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What does it even mean? It's about catching up on common things, give value to the right skills...not being unable to be a Senior. You can put your TC there, where the sun doesn't shine.
Thanks for your contribution.