Am I ready to be a Senior Engineer? - Michelle Brenner

When you move from Junior to Mid-level Software Engineer, you’re mostly building on what you already know. You get better at writing clean code, you pick up speed, and you start to really understand how your team works. But making the leap from Mid to Senior? That’s a whole new game. Suddenly, you’re expected to make technical decisions, work across teams, and help drive your team’s success. I’ll talk about what being a Senior Engineer actually means, and what people are really looking for. These days, on-the-job training is rare. Managers want to see these skills early, not just when you have the title.

Here’s a challenge: the most experienced engineers are often working remotely, so it’s harder for newer folks to pick things up just by being around them. How are you supposed to know what’s expected if you never get to see it in action? That’s what I want to help with. We’ll dig into everything from system design to working with other teams, the stuff nobody really explains. This is a sneak peek from my upcoming book (coming Fall 2026), pulled from both my own experience and the many engineers I interviewed.

You’ll leave with practical skills you can start using right away, and a clearer picture of what it really means to be a Senior Engineer, so you can stop guessing and be ready for your next step.