The Shortest Path To Becoming A Senior Engineer

People choose a career path for many reasons. They had family members who were doctors so they followed suit. They found passion in a field and pursued it. They are thrilled by challenges and problem solving. They are motivated by opportunities to travel.

It doesn’t matter what your reasons are, you are here now. We all in this space have found ourselves in the tech world. And our aim is to become experts in our field.

So it begs the question; who is an expert? What makes an expert?

Transcript

1. Grow Your Career !
   The Shortest Path To
   Becoming A Senior Engineer
   By Mustapha Rufai
   At Junior Developer Conference 2022, Coder Bee, Germany
   

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2. Mustapha Rufai
   Developer engagement lead @paga
   

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3. Decide what you want?
   

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4. Who is an expert?
   

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7. Who is an expert?
   1. Experience
   2. Expertise ( Technical, Behavioral, etc. )
   3. Lead teams/projects
   

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8. Learn the required skills
   ● Don’t distract yourself
   ● Self learning
   ● Books
   ● Bootcamps
   ● Youtube
   ● Scholarships
   ● School
   

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9. Apply the learned skills
   ● Volunteer
   ● Build what excites you
   ● Show and tell
   ● Find mentorship
   

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10. Finding the job
    ● Have an online portfolio
    ● Keep all projects well presented
    ● If you meet 70% of the requirements then apply.
    ● Law of averages will play out. Be patient.
    ● Choose a company that offers new technical challenges
    ● Choose a company that guidance program
    

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11. Settling into the job
    ● Provide value to your employer
    ● If you meet 70% of the requirements then apply.
    ● Law of averages will play out. Be patient.
    

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12. “
    It’s a new world at the senior levels.
    You’ll still be building. But with new tools you’ll build
    bigger and better than before.
    - ZAIN RIZVI
    

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13. Growing into the career ● Manage your manager
    ● Talk with your colleagues
    

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14. Becoming an expert
    ● Lead others
    ○ Publish a book
    ○ Build tools used by your community
    

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15. You are now an expert 😇!
    Congratulations!
    Keep Fighting
    

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