About a year ago, a dev friend of mine landed a job at a well-known product company.
He was crushing it: delivering on time, writing solid tests, picking up weekend hotfixes — even showing up to standups with a fever.
Then came the performance review.
His manager told him:
“You’re doing well, but you’re not Senior yet. You lack confidence and initiative.”
It hit hard. Especially after months of 60+ hour weeks and constant firefighting.
A month later, he quit.
He joined another company.
Three weeks in — they gave him the Senior Software Engineer title.
Now here’s the question:
💬 Who was right — the first company that didn’t see a senior, or the second that saw one immediately?
Is "seniority" something objective — or just a matter of perception?
Curious to hear your thoughts 👇
Top comments (3)
Sometimes people grow and evolve, but their current environment continues to see them through the lens of who they used to be.
The first company likely had a fixed perception based on initial impressions or past performance, while the new company evaluated him with fresh eyes and saw his current capabilities objectively.
It's a classic case of how perception can be more powerful than reality - and why sometimes the best way to get recognition for your growth is to start fresh somewhere new.
honestly seen this kinda thing so many times, titles feel so random tbh - you think seniority is ever really about skills or just fitting into whatever story a company wants?
I’ve seen this a lot - what counts as 'senior' really does depend on the team and the company vibe.
Have you ever felt a company underestimated you, but another saw your value right away?