Team management in an IT company is a critical aspect of leadership. While C-level executives plan, coordinate, and control the workflow throughout an organization, they can only do so effectively if every position has a clearly defined set of responsibilities. Beyond that, these roles must be built around realistic expectations.

It is crucial to distinguish the role of a DevOps engineer from a Full-Stack developer, or a Financial Specialist from a Marketer. But it goes deeper than that. Each position, especially in software houses, has different levels based on experience. How you work at the beginning of your career is completely different from how you work after you have years of experience under your belt.

It’s not just about technical skills, programming languages, frameworks, or the tools you know. The difference between experienced developers and juniors also lies in the application of best practices: working in teams, providing feedback on what needs to be done, and identifying blockers that slow down progress. It’s also about knowing how to accurately estimate the time needed to complete a project. While it’s obvious that skills improve over time, we must identify the specific milestones required at each career stage.

At WizzDev, we foster an atmosphere that feels like a group of friends hanging out and working together on interesting projects, regardless of age. This makes the IoT development process more comfortable and open. The main benefit of this approach is that it breaks the classic corporate ladder and its strict hierarchy. People can learn from one another; those at the earlier stages of their careers can soak up knowledge like a sponge from their more experienced colleagues.

However, one of the most frequent questions from our team and job candidates is: What is the difference between a junior with some experience and a mid-level developer? Where is the “magic line” when you can proudly say, “I’m a mid-level developer” – not to mention becoming a senior? In this article, we are going to clear up any doubts about whether you are a junior, mid, or senior developer.

Junior Developer

A Junior is typically a recent graduate with little to no professional experience in the IT industry. As they are at the very beginning of their career, almost every task or challenge is a new experience. This stage is primarily about learning the ropes: understanding company culture, mastering specific programming languages, and adapting to the workflow of a professional environment.

Consequently, Juniors often need to devote more time and commitment to their roles. This sometimes involves investing personal time into further training or deep-diving into project-related problems to bridge the knowledge gap.

At this level, developers usually work under the close supervision of senior colleagues. This is a foundational period where they define their career direction and identify which skills they want to specialize in. If a Junior already has some experience from hobbies, internships, or personal projects, they should be capable of writing simple, functional programs.

Tasks, responsibilities, skills of Junior Developer

Once an individual transitions from an Intern to a Junior Developer, we look for the following core competencies:

Technical must have:

  • Basic knowledge of one programming language (C, C++, Bash, Python, Javascript, TypeScript).
  • Basics of communication protocols (UART, SPI, I2C, SSH, HTTP, HTTPS, REST).
  • Basic knowledge of one platform (ESP32, STM32, nRF) or framework (React, Django).
  • Git basics (workflow) proficiency in commit, push, branch operations, handling Pull Requests, and resolving conflicts.
  • Ability to build a simple program from scratch and demonstrate the codebase (e.g., a hobby project).
  • Basic familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure-as-code, and environment configuration.

NOTE: Technical skills differentiate depending on the position.

Personal skills:

  • Communicative English at B2 level.
  • Analytical thinking skills.
  • Demonstrates an ability to research solutions independently.
  • Seeks out challenges and asks for feedback
  • Able to prioritize assigned tasks and meet deadlines.

Mid Developer

A Mid-level Developer has a deep understanding of programming languages, frameworks, and the inner workings of an IT corporate environment. They can handle multiple tasks independently without requiring constant supervision from seniors. A Mid knows their limits recognizing when to solve a problem alone and when to seek guidance. 

Typically, they have at least two full-time commercial projects under their belt, a strong work ethic, and solid self-management skills. They can accurately estimate task durations and proactively inform PMs or Tech Leads if there is a risk of missing a deadline. 

Beyond just writing functional, error-free code, they understand project objectives and client expectations, often proposing their own solutions to the team. With a comprehensive toolkit, they work efficiently within tight budgets and strict timelines.

Technical must have:

  • Advanced knowledge of one programming language and basic knowledge of another (C, C++, Bash, Python, Javascript, TypeScript).
  • Advanced knowledge of one platform (ESP32, STM32, nRF) or framework (React, Angular, Django, PyQt) and basic knowledge of another.
  • Advanced work with Git (conflict resolution, rollbacks, SRP commits, gitflow, etc.).
  • Knows Programming Design Patterns (Observer, Factory, Strategy, MVC, MVP, Facade).
  • Creating CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins / Github Actions / Bitbucket Pipelines / Gitlab Actions).
  • Advanced knowledge of CMAKE.
  • Good knowledge of AWS Cloud.
  • Basic knowledge of Docker.
  • SOLID – general principles, application.
  • The Rule of Three.
  • Clean Code, YAGNI, Scout Rule, deleting Code Smells.
  • Ability to write advanced unit testing.
  • Ability to write a designated integration test.
  • Ability to work on databases – procedures/component functions, advanced indexes.
  • Ability to use and make minor corrections to the Ci&CD used in the project.

NOTE: Technical skills differentiate depending on the position.

Supporting must have:

  • Worked on at least two commercial projects full time.
  • Controls budget and timely prediction of overtime.
  • Delivers project goals with minimal supervision from TechLead.
  • Can provide constructive feedback in code reviews.
  • Programming history min. 140,000 lines of code added, 300,000 lines of code changed. 
  • English at C1 level.

Senior Developer

In many cases, the final step of a career is a Senior Developer. At this stage, you are probably an old hand at programming, well-acquainted with IT, and you have mastered your coding. You are a role model for junior developers.

Seniors don’t only focus on current project problems, but they also look further ahead. They consider not only the solutions used in the project but also the problems the resulting product is supposed to solve, and thus the possibilities for its future development. They recognize the customer’s needs and requirements and are able to use solutions that avoid technical debt for the entire project. Senior developers are people who can give constructive feedback to other developers. Often, they are the ones who hold project teams together alongside PMs.

Technical must have:

You know everything 😉 

Don’t you?

Realistically speaking, at this point, you are like a Swiss-made watch: highly specialized in your niche (Embedded, DevOps, Full Stack, etc.) and you are the best. You have adopted several programming languages and frameworks. Working with Git is like breathing. Good practices are your thing, which you chase after youngsters for. You are motivated to introduce new technologies and architectures to the company’s stack.

Also, it might be the turning point in your career when you decide to go even higher and become a Tech Lead or even CTO. To do that, besides an excellent knowledge of programming, you have to be team-oriented and be a great leader with nerves of steel and patience, forward-looking while simultaneously understanding your business needs, your clients’ needs, and the products you are working on.

Summary

Career is a journey; you start as an intern, then become a junior, a mid, and eventually a senior. At every stage, you are learning new things. You are motivated, passionate, committed, and desire to develop. You are doing it because you love it. Of course, it doesn’t mean you can sit down and wait for an opportunity to appear. As the saying goes, “fortune favors the bold,” and that’s a great summary of a programmer’s career and indeed, any career. The technical requirements at each stage aren’t things that no one can do; on the contrary. What is important is how you work and how much time you want to spend on your own development. If you are looking for a nice place to work with a passionate team of developers, don’t hesitate to check our career section!