Break Into Senior Engineering Roles
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Intro
The world of software engineering is full of myths.
Some are funny, some are frustrating, and some can actually stall your career if you believe them.
This post is for two groups:
New grads & junior engineers: so you don’t fall into common traps early on.
Experienced engineers: so you can laugh and maybe share this with the new folks on your team.
By understanding the truth behind these misconceptions and knowing how to avoid them, you’ll work smarter, write better code, and build stronger careers.
Let’s get started
1) More Code Equals More Value
The Myth:
Writing more code means you’re more productive.
Reality:
Less is often more. Clean, efficient, and maintainable code is far more valuable than a massive codebase filled with redundancy.
How to avoid it:
Don’t measure your worth by lines of code. Instead, optimize for impact. Before submitting a PR, ask: Can this be simplified? Refactor ruthlessly.
For example, replacing 50 lines of custom parsing logic with a well-tested library is often the smarter move.
2) The Best Programmers Never Make Mistakes
The Myth:
Senior engineers are flawless.
Reality:
Everyone makes mistakes. Great engineers just recover faster.
How to avoid it:
Don’t hide mistakes, but treat them as lessons. Keep a personal “bug journal” to log tricky issues and solutions. Over time, patterns emerge.
Example: If you repeatedly hit null pointer errors, you’ll naturally start writing safer null checks or adopting non-nullable types.
3) Developers Don’t Need Soft Skills
The Myth:
Code is all that matters.
Reality:
The higher you grow, the more success depends on communication, collaboration, and influence.
How to avoid it:
Practice explaining technical trade-offs without jargon. In your next sprint retro, describe why you chose one database over another in simple language. If non-technical teammates nod along, you’re leveling up.
4) Working Long Hours = Higher Productivity
The Myth:
Hustle is the only way to grow.
Reality:
Overwork backfires - burnout, sloppy code, and missed edge cases.