Anytime I see someone signal that they freight the "senior" in "senior engineer" with a ton of significance (self-import?), they fall in my estimation a bit. T

Anytime I see someone signal that they freight the "senior" in "senior engineer" with a ton of significance (self-import?), they fall in my estimation a bit. That move says something about their frame of reference, and what it says doesn't do them any favors. Leaving aside its intimation of a possible inferiority complex being overcompensated for, here are some observations: 1. "Senior engineer" is a mid-level title at high-prestige tech companies. 2. Organizations with flat teams (a model that typically only functions well when everyone is relatively senior) have no reason to load the title with a ton of significance. So when you pontificate about the importance of the senior engineer, you suggest that you (1) are not at a high-prestige company, (2) work in a more hierarchical team structure. Neither possibility is flattering. FWIW, I would consider every point outlined in this medium post to be a desideratum for any engineer, regardless of seniority level.