Becoming a Senior Engineer is not a title—it is a journey shaped by continuous learning, challenging projects, strong communication, and countless real-world experiences.
In this article, I want to share how I started my software career, how I progressed through different companies, and how my banking & fintech experience helped me reach the Senior level.
🧩 1. Getting Started: Building the Foundation
I started from absolute zero, spending 10–12 hours a day for nearly a year learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
During this phase, I:
- Learned responsive UI development
- Started learning React
- Attended events
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Built projects such as:
- Getir Clone Web (Next.js)
- Getir Clone Mobile (React Native)
- Getir Clone API (Node.js)
- Shopify Next Payments App
These projects built my confidence and practical understanding of front-end development.
💼 2. First Job: CI/CD Fundamentals and Team Dynamics
In my first job, I worked on React-based CMS features and Next.js payment flows.
I learned:
- Jenkins CI/CD
- Auto-deploy pipelines
- Team workflow and communication
This was my introduction to real-world engineering processes.
🚀 3. Second Company: Enterprise-Level Growth
Working as an outsourced developer for large banking projects accelerated my development significantly.
📱 BES System – React Native & React Native Web
- Built cross-platform screens
- Followed strict code standards (ESLint, Husky)
- Learned PR/testing processes
- Learned how big tech teams operate
💳 Credit Card Migration Project
- Developed React Native mobile flows
- Integrated banking services
- Managed production incidents
- Collaborated closely with testers
- Improved domain knowledge
🧱 Legacy Modernization with 600+ Screens
This project was a game-changer.
I contributed to:
- System analysis & architecture
- Micro Frontend + Module Federation architecture
- Shared UI library
- Redux Toolkit Query
- TailwindCSS
- Storybook + Figma Design System
- Dockerized environment
- ESLint + Husky quality workflow
- Webpack optimizations
- Vendor & cross-team coordination
- Production troubleshooting
This experience shaped my senior-level thinking.
🏦 4. Third Company: Full-Time Banking & Real Fintech Experience
In this role, I worked on an investment application with React Native, covering funds, equities, and FX.
Key achievements:
🧠 Code Quality & Architecture
- Refactoring
- Performance improvements
- Modular architecture
- BFF & RN Web integration (NestJS)
- UI/UX improvements
📡 Real-Time FX & Stock Streaming
- STOMP/WebSocket for FX
- SignalR for live stock prices
- Reconnection strategies
- Queue management
- State synchronization
- Rendering optimization
- Supporting other teams
📊 Monitoring & Observability
- Sentry (Tracing, alerts)
- Dynatrace
- Dataroid
- Production issue handling
👥 Scrum, Communication & Team Leadership
- Acted as a Scrum Master
- Held knowledge-sharing sessions
- Supported testers and PO
- Coordinated with vendors
- Shared domain knowledge with the team
💡 Continuous Growth
Outside work:
- Writing technical articles (Medium, Dev.to)
- Learning Golang (concurrency + clean architecture)
- Building fintech apps like funds-turkey.online
- Using AI-assisted development
- Studying system design and scalable architectures
⭐ What Being a Senior Means to Me
A Senior Engineer must balance:
✔ Technical expertise
✔ Communication
✔ Responsibility
✔ Continuous learning
In my view, a senior is someone who can:
- Understand system architecture deeply
- Solve root causes, not symptoms
- Communicate clearly
- Mentor others
- Improve processes
- Maintain product quality
- Stay curious
🎉 Conclusion
I still see myself as a developer who is always learning.
Becoming a Senior is not an end—it is the beginning of a more impactful journey.
Thank you for reading. I welcome all feedback and thoughts.
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