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Your roadmap from a junior software developer to a team leader
For someone who is starting off as a junior software developer, it goes without saying that they need to have basic knowledge of at least one programming language. With time, they must improve their current programming abilities, pick up new programming languages, and actively participate in quality checks.
At the same time, they need to assure that they are delivering results as per the benchmarks set by their project heads, team leaders, or clients.
On the other hand, someone working as a team leader needs to wear multiple hats. While having excellent programming skills is something that they must have, they should also be good at dealing with people. They take ownership of not only the project but also the team.
Last but not least, they should possess excellent analytical skills and be someone with a considerable amount of industry experience.
Also read: The Ultimate Guide to Hiring Remote Tech Talent
Here’s an in-depth understanding of the roadmap between these two career paths. We will highlight the initial steps to get groomed and how to become a successful team leader from a junior software developer.
Table of Contents
Essence of career development for an IT professional
IT is among the top leading industries in today’s time and is predicted to be growing in the upcoming years. A research study conveys that IT is slated to grow as a $3.92 trillion industry this year. Therefore, what’s required for an IT professional is to shape their current knowledge base with the evolving technological interventions. Staying up to date with the trends and skill sets will help them remain competitive in the market and help them grow professionally.
But how to do that? Let’s discuss the direction you can take to develop your career in an ever-growing IT industry.
Skill Development & Continuous Learning
“Commit yourself to lifelong learning. The most valuable asset you will ever have is your mind and what you put into it.” – Mahatma Gandhi.
Well said! Learning is, for sure, a lifelong process. For you to stay on top of your career, you must forever commit to learning. Skill development is one of the essential aspects of career development. Learning new programming languages will help you stay engaged with the industry and be relevant to the change. Mastering new software technologies, and understanding new frameworks, will help you understand the requirements of leading businesses so that they can trust you for the role they are hiring.
Build Your Network
Networking is another important aspect of staying up-to-date with the industry. The growth of social media has bridged the gap between people globally. Making new connections, talking to IT experts, and understanding their mindset and how they see the world can help you gain a direction in R&D. Taking guidance from them can transform your growth in terms of career development.
Also read: 15 Best Communities Every Developer Should Join
Gaining Clarity of Goals
Goal setting is another most essential aspect of career development. This helps set the objectives right for short or long terms. Having clarity in the advent of change will help you charge towards the right direction. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses will help you construct a clear passage towards achieving your career objective.
Now that we have the proper understanding of what needs to be done, let’s dive deeper into the roles of a junior software developer and team leader.
What is the role of a junior software developer?
A junior software developer, working under the guidance of senior developers, is responsible for the overall development of software in terms of writing and debugging code. They work closely with the team to enhance product functionality, participate in code reviews, handle quality assurances, and be part of the review meetings.
With adequate experience in their field, they can support others along the way. Since this is an entry-level position, junior software developers gain exposure to problem-solving.
During the process of their role, they get to learn new coding skill sets and programming languages such as Java, Python, HTML, etc. and gain experience in the quality analysis of their code.
Let’s discuss some necessary skills that make someone a successful junior software developer in detail:
Analytical and Problem-Solving
Problem-solving is an art. It helps to acknowledge what needs to be done for their code to run bug-free. A junior software developer must understand patterns and discrepancies within the code to successfully debate why they have written a code in a way. We have heard that hard work is essential, but smart work is the key for a software developer. Having a mind of a problem solver helps them predict foreseeable problems or issues in the code so that they can take complete measures before it impacts the product in any way. Such knowledge helps them become analytical, which they can pass on to someone else.
Communication Skills
Communication skills are essential soft skills for a junior software developer. This helps them stay transparent to their team; team leads, and clients. Lack of communication skills creates discrepancies within the team, which eventually gets reflected in their project. It seems simple to understand, but when under a lot of pressure from the client, this helps maintain decorum.
Also read: Best Tools To Optimize Communication In Remote Work
Team Player Skills
This is another vital part of a software developer role. Companies, when hiring, prefer candidates who are open to teamwork. This sustains a balance between other developers as no developer works in silos. Supporting one another in a team extends knowledge-base and they get to experience different aspects of human nature. Learning people skills is essential to move forward in your roles as a junior developer.
Time Management
This skill is shared among all the job roles. Apart from having a technical knowledge, soft skills play an integral part too.Time management helps schedule tasks beforehand so that the project/product can reach completion. It helps improve their actions, especially when under a lot of pressure. It helps them take necessary steps to minimise future issues.
What is the career roadmap of a junior software developer?
Software developer roles make up among the top jobs by Glassdoor. However, who doesn’t like to grow? Let’s discuss some of the career paths of a junior software developer.
Front-end, back-end, full stack, and mobile developers are the entry-level positions and each hold the ownership of different subjects. As per a report, around 55% of people are full-stack developers, 20% are mobile developers, 55.2% are back-end developers, and 37.1% are front-end developers. Let’s take a deeper dive into understanding the career path of a junior software developer. Below is the chronological path which most developers take:
- Front End Developer
- Back End Developer
- Full Stack Developer
- Mobile Developer
- Lead Developer/Technical Architect
- Team Lead/Software Development Manager
- Chief Technology Officer
As mentioned above, various job roles fall under the umbrella of a software developer role. However, it’s a step-by-step journey. A junior software developer must have 100% knowledge capacity to become a team lead.
Let’s now understand who a team lead is and what steps a junior software developer should take to switch from their current role to a team leader.
Who is a Team Lead?
A team lead comes with years of coding experience and people management skills. They are the ones who take complete ownership of the project they are given, starting from understanding the brief from the client to making it happen with the help of their team of developers. They guide, supervise and help developers navigate the issues whenever they face a roadblock. A team leader is an expert problem solver and an expert in programming with an abundance of knowledge.
They have exceptional coding knowledge, which helps them guide junior developers on how to code. Apart from the technical fronts, they hold expertise in soft skills which help them manage their team. They don’t think of a project as singular; it’s about acknowledging each member’s knowledge for delegating different responsibilities to achieve successful results.
Also read: The Ultimate Guide To Hire Remote Tech Talent
They are open to receiving suggestions so that they can improve product delivery. In short, they are capable of handling project architecture and code infrastructure. They maintain coordination between their team, both in terms of technical and empathetic front. Nonetheless, they are the ones a developer would go to seek a solution whenever a problem arises in the project. This doesn’t mean that they do things their way. Since learning happens every day, even for them, they know how to accept feedback for themselves and their team to ease their way around a project.
It’s safe to say that they have the potential to save a sinking ship!
However, these things don’t happen overnight. They, too, started their journey as a junior software developer and kept on learning on the way. Hence, they understand how to guide developers to become the best in their role.
Let’s discuss the journey of how a junior software developer can shape their future into a software developer team lead.
How can a Junior Software Developer become a Team Lead?
A junior developer can transition into the role of a team lead with the help of the following:
- They should learn how the project strategy works.
- Attend leadership development sessions by conversing directly with the leaders.
- They should keep up-skilling themselves in programming languages.
- They must always focus on excelling at soft skills such as team management, team player, communication skills, and problem-solving and analytical skills.
- Developers should always be willing to write technical/architectural ideas.
- They should have a solid technical background in product building.
- They must be proficient in managing their time and know its importance.
- They should know the reason behind the code used so that they are always ready with the answers even when there’s no question asked.
- They should have knowledge of different frameworks and functionalities.
Here’s a roadmap for a junior software developer to transition into a team leader role:
| Step | Timeline | Activity | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0-6 months | Learn the basics | Gain a strong foundation in programming languages, frameworks, and software development tools. |
| 2 | 6-12 months | Contribute to projects | Collaborate with team members on software development projects, contributing code and ideas. |
| 3 | 12-18 months | Improve problem-solving skills | Develop the ability to analyze and solve complex problems in software development. |
| 4 | 18-24 months | Develop soft skills | Work on communication, time management, and leadership skills to prepare for a team leader role. |
| 5 | 24-30 months | Take on additional responsibilities | Volunteer for additional tasks within the team, such as code reviews and mentoring new hires. |
| 6 | 30-36 months | Seek a promotion to a senior or intermediate developer | Demonstrate your growth and skill set to secure a promotion within the organization. |
| 7 | 36-42 months | Mentor junior developers | Guide and mentor junior developers to help them grow professionally and develop their skills. |
| 8 | 42-48 months | Take on a technical lead role | Assume a technical lead role, overseeing and coordinating the technical aspects of projects. |
| 9 | 48-54 months | Develop project management skills | Learn project management techniques, including budgeting, scheduling, and stakeholder management. |
| 10 | 54-60 months | Apply for a team leader position | Leverage your technical expertise, leadership, and project management skills to secure a team leader role. |
Please note that this timeline is approximate and can vary based on individual performance, company requirements, and market conditions. It’s important to remain adaptable and proactive in seeking opportunities for growth and development throughout your career.
Conclusion
It takes a lot for a developer to become a software developer team Lead. More than anything, they should be willing to take complete ownership of the project and their team. They should always be open to learning new things in their field.
Not every developer would be willing to lead, but those who want to start learning this very second they surely will. Take side projects, follow the technological trends, be mentored by leaders, gain practical experience, and last but not least, gain soft skills.
Once you’re there, there’s no stopping you from becoming an exceptional software development team lead!
Frequently Asked Questions
Although there is no specific time period, it takes a junior software developer around 5 to 7 years to become a team leader.
As the name suggests, the team leader needs to manage a team, whether big or small. As a result, having exceptional people and team management skills is essential.
Here are some books that will not only help you become a better team leader, but will also help you gain leadership overall:
– Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action by Simon Sinek
– The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
– Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together And Others Don’t by Simon Sinek
– The Leader In You: How To Win Friends, Influence People, and Succeed In A Changing World by Dale Carnegie
– The Making of A Manager: What To Do When Everyone Looks At You by Julie Zhuo
– The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You by John C. Maxwell
– The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People and Teams That Win Consistently by Tony Dungy
Jisha Panicker
