This is from my article (originally posted on medium, now on my blog!). You can read the full version at this link: https://zerotomastery.io/blog/dont-be-a-junior-developer
Don't be a Junior Developer
Seriously, dont be a junior developer. A junior developer puts this title in their resume, emails, and LinkedIn They pronounce it to the world. Dont.
When you do that, this is what recruiters and companies see: Hi, Im desperately looking to get hired as a developer. Im still new at this, but can you please please please place a bet on me and hope that I turn out to be an asset and not a liability for your company. Oh, and Im also going to need a lot of help from your staff for the first 6 months!
But, I AM a junior developer! you say. If that is the case, then you will have better long term success if you focus on improving your skills to become an intermediate developer. Only then, you should start applying to jobs.Dedicate yourself full time on learning proper skills. This way, you dont pigeonhole yourself to the junior developer role that you brand yourself as.Remember, first impressions are important. By getting hired as a junior developer, you will have to spend a longer time getting out of that role than if you would have, if you spent a little more time getting comfortable calling yourself an intermediate developer and getting hired into that role right away.
But when would I know when Im not a junior developer?you say. You wont. You will always feel like you dont know enough. You will always feel like others are smarter than you. This is called imposters syndrome. Its normal and every developer feels it. But here is a simple test for web developers: Can you explain to your family members how the internet works? How a computer works? How websites work? Do you have a basic understanding of HTML, CSS and Javascript so you can build your own websites? Do you know a little bit of React? Have you built a few projects on your own on Github and you are comfortable putting up websites and apps online? Good, then you are not a junior developer.
But I need a job right now!..you say. Stop that short term thinking. Unless your job involves you working with really smart people that you can learn from every day, on technologies that are relevant and current (few junior developer roles offer you this), your time would be better invested learning skills to get out of the junior mindset. Long term, you will earn more money, be with better developer teams, and you will be more likely to work for a company that teaches and lets you work with up to date technologies every day. Dont work on updating a Wordpress plugin as the resident junior developer of a law firm. That wont help you long term.
If you apply for junior developer roles, the best case scenario: You become a junior developer.
If you apply for intermediate developer roles, the best case scenario: You become an intermediate developer.
Dont sell yourself short.
Stop calling yourself a junior developer. Have a junior developer mindset where you are constantly looking to learn from others, but never settle for a junior developer role. Apply for roles for which you are under qualified not overqualified. Remember that if you never ask the answer will always be no.
Dont overestimate the world and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think.