hiring, networkingWhat do the adjectives “Junior” and “Senior” mean as they apply to programmer titles?
For example, what should I expect from a “Senior Ruby Developer” that’s different from what I should expect from a “Junior Ruby Developer” or just a plain old “Ruby Developer?” Are the distinctions standardized? Like with a test or a certificate or something?
No, as far as I know, these job adjectives are in no way standardized.
But I would argue that there’s a common understanding in the software industry: these job title adjectives usually reflect the experience a developer has and the difficulty of tasks an employer expects a Senior or Junior to solve.
A Junior Developer typically solves smaller problems (probably with the guidance of a Senior Developer or an Architect) and isn’t expected to design the architecture of a whole app.
A Senior Developer usually tackles larger, more complex problems, should be faster due to his experience and might be in charge of mentoring younger developers.
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