One of the goal i set this year(2019) was to change my career from agency to in-house dev. Reason being that, as an engineer, there's a certain level of seniority i don't see myself reaching if i keep working in this kind of environment.

Working in an agency means you get to work on various projects, explore different stacks, etc... but once you're done with a project, it's usually up to the customer to take care of the rest.

There are pros and cons of this depending on what you want and where you are in your dev life but it has reached a point where i'm sure that the agency life isn't taking me where i want to be in my career.

The journey to becoming a Senior Engineer

A Senior dev can mean anything depending on who you ask but i like to think of it as someone who's able to think ahead of time and notice possible flaws of a solution and decide accordingly

As I embark on my journey towards becoming a Senior Engineer, I realize that it's not just about the technical skills. It's also about developing a certain mindset and approach to problem-solving.

One of the things that I have found to be crucial in this journey is mentorship. It's important to find someone who has more experience and can guide you in your career. Unfortunately, in some environments, there might not be any senior or principal engineers to learn from. In that case, it's important to seek out mentorship from other sources such as online communities or attending conferences and meetups.

Another important aspect is to focus on the long-term goals rather than just the immediate task at hand. As a Senior Engineer, one must have a broader perspective and think beyond the current project. It's important to understand the business goals and align them with the technical solutions being implemented.

Communication is also crucial. As a Senior Engineer, you must be able to communicate effectively with different stakeholders including non-technical people. This means being able to explain technical concepts in simple terms that everyone can understand.

In conclusion, becoming a senior engineer can be a challenging journey, especially when working in an environment with no senior or principal engineers. However, with persistence, dedication, and a willingness to learn and take on new challenges, you can still achieve your goal.

Seeking mentorship, attending conferences and meetups, participating in online forums, and continuously expanding your knowledge and skills can all be valuable steps towards becoming a senior engineer.

That being said, I would highly recommend Kasper's Discord community for mid/intermediate ruby/rails engineer ;)