"Remember when being a “Senior Software Engineer” actually meant something? " As a counterpoint I would argue it has never meant anything specific. The term "

"Remember when being a “Senior Software Engineer” actually meant something? " As a counterpoint I would argue it has never meant anything specific. The term "engineer" is not at all well defined in software industry. Many other industries whose professionals use the title "engineer" fit a very specific box that is sometimes strictly controlled by law (depending on country). If the title "engineer" is not well defined it's not very surprising any subsequent steps are less so. Of course we hear opinions "as an engineer you should this and that" which how I also describe my role and responsibilities in discussions with non-technical stakeholders. But it's not a specific title as humanity at large understands specific titles. See for example the strict demands on structural engineers. Or lawyers. Or doctors. Software industry has discussed should there be a fixed definition of an engineer and has not come up with one yet. Individual organizations have attempted to create more formal ladder systems of course but those are then particular only to the organization using them.