I know this is a very generalized question, as it depends on the company, product, position, etc. But in general, what sets someone apart as ready for a senior position over an intermediate or junior position? Experience I would think would be a big one, but say you have a candidate that shows problem solving abilities to solve code problems, but is newer to the tech field vs someone who’s been in the field x years, does the first guy have a shot without really knowing the ins and outs of working as a software engineer, hoping to pick it up quick?
The ability to jump into a task with minimal instruction is the key differentiator of a senior engineer. You have a ticket with some requirements. You have the code base. You should know where to go from there.
Now to be clear, I’m not saying I expect a senor dev to do it by themselves. Quite the opposite. You’re going to have questions, and you’re going to need clarification. But in situations where a junior dev would just say “help I’m stuck”, a senior dev knows how to figure out what questions to ask, and asks them.
Not just technical questions, but also questions about the business. Product managers are going to assume you can read their mind. It’s up to you to work with them and figure out what they actually want.