> technically, just as strong as the senior folks.
> Speaking as a "senior" engineer today, I'm no better an engineer today than I was 10 years ago in terms of rote problem solving. What I provide as a senior engineer is if we're paddling across the lake, I'll keep us dry.
This is an extremely narrow vision of the nature of engineering and engineers. It makes sense if the problems you're dealing with are whiteboard interview problems. Real world projects are much broader in nature and context.
At a very bare minimum, the experience on solving a broad spectrum of problems, and dealing with the related context, brings:
- more solid solutions
- simpler solutions
- more fitting models
- anticipation of dead ends
- stability in the long term
- etc. etc.
those are the things that popped into my mind in a few seconds.
I think there was talk, some time ago, on HN on this subject - if the only difference in 10 years of experience is "keeping dry across the lake", then one is a junior engineer with 10 year of experience, not a senior engineer (and/or somebody who doesn't see the difference).
Just to clarify I said "in terms of rote problem solving" which is what you referred to as "whiteboard interview problems." When I said "I'll keep us dry" I meant exactly the items you listed, with a particular focus on anticipating and avoiding problems and ensuring long-term stability over near-term thinking when appropriate.
> Speaking as a "senior" engineer today, I'm no better an engineer today than I was 10 years ago in terms of rote problem solving. What I provide as a senior engineer is if we're paddling across the lake, I'll keep us dry.
This is an extremely narrow vision of the nature of engineering and engineers. It makes sense if the problems you're dealing with are whiteboard interview problems. Real world projects are much broader in nature and context.
At a very bare minimum, the experience on solving a broad spectrum of problems, and dealing with the related context, brings:
those are the things that popped into my mind in a few seconds.I think there was talk, some time ago, on HN on this subject - if the only difference in 10 years of experience is "keeping dry across the lake", then one is a junior engineer with 10 year of experience, not a senior engineer (and/or somebody who doesn't see the difference).