How Chris Skipped Junior and Landed a Senior Developer Role

Everyone assumes the goal in tech is to just get your foot in the door ASAP as a Junior Developer. Then you work your way up, pay your dues, and prove yourself over time.

But what if you didn't have to?

What if the skills you built were good enough to not just get hired, but to skip the entry-level rung entirely and land a Senior role right out of the gate? That's exactly what happened to one ZTM student. And eight years into that same role, he's never looked back.

I saw Chris chatting in our private Discord community with some of our new students about this experience, and I knew I had to reach out to learn more.

This is his story.

Meet Chris

Hi, my name is Christopher B, and I'm a Senior Full-stack Developer working primarily with React, MongoDB, Node.js, and Azure.

I've been in my current role for going on eight years now, but before that, I was a graphic designer for a printing company, where I also maintained the firm's website using HTML and CSS.

What was the goal or outcome you were hoping for from ZTM? Did you achieve it?

My primary goal was to land a job as a developer. (More specifically, a Junior role). I had a solid grasp of HTML and CSS, and I was comfortable using jQuery for basic functionality, so I had some skills, but it was definitely not enough to walk into a developer interview with confidence, either.

After taking just two ZTM courses, not only did I get hired, but I was actually offered a position as a Senior Developer right away!

Editor’s note: Here at ZTM we’re big believers in pushing into more senior roles ASAP, simply because the gap isn’t that far. It’s just picking up specific skills that junior devs miss. Because of this, we cut a lot of the stuff you don’t need, while adding in everything to make you the perfect hire. This is why so many of our students tell us that their interviewer was blown away by the projects and skills!

Back to Chris…

When did you first realize you needed something like ZTM Academy?

I initially tried teaching myself via YouTube, but I found the content was often outdated, incomplete, or lacked the job-ready skills I actually needed. Not only that, but it occurred to me that I actually thrive in a structured learning environment. 

I did consider Codecademy, and even purchased a standalone Angular course that I never finished, but nothing quite clicked until I found ZTM.

Editor’s note: We actually structure our course, platform, and community because of these common issues that people have so that they can succeed.

What were your biggest hesitations before joining?

My main concern was that I wouldn't be employable without a Computer Science degree and that I might be wasting my time with nothing to show for it.

It turned out both of those fears were unfounded. It’s true that tech doesn’t really care about if you have a degree, just that you can do the work.

Editor’s note: You can actually learn all the additional theory that a CS degree would cover online:

What ZTM courses have you taken?

I completed two courses:

1. The Junior to Senior Web Developer, which I finished in about 4 weeks

2. Master the Coding Interview: Data Structures + Algorithms. This one I finished in about 2 weeks

Both were critical. The Junior to Senior course gave me the full-stack foundation and real-world workflow knowledge I needed:

Advanced

The Complete Junior to Senior Web Developer Roadmap

37 Hours •436 Lessons

Go from Junior Developer to Senior Developer. Learn all the technical and non-technical skills you need to become a Senior Web Developer. Includes SSH, Node, Docker, React, TypeScript, Load Balancing, Redis, JWT + more!

Andrei Neagoie

While the Coding Interview course prepared me for the technical side of the hiring process:

Intermediate

Master the Coding Interview: Data Structures + Algorithms

21 Hours •270 Lessons

The ultimate coding interview bootcamp to ace your coding interviews and land your dream job. Learn data structures & algorithms and the exact steps to take to get more interviews, more job offers, and a higher salary.

Andrei Neagoie

What was your learning experience like?

The ZTM course format was definitely the most effective for me.

I loved being able to code along and rewind whenever necessary. I could fast-forward through familiar topics at 2x speed, and if I ever needed help, I could jump into the Discord and ask for assistance.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience.

Editor’s note: A LOT of our students stay with us and continue to upskill or simply remain a member of our community and help others. This is why Chris was still chatting with new devs 8 years after he landed his role!

What was the biggest challenge in your journey from learning to getting hired?

Gauging my own competency and understanding what the job actually required. However, I didn't truly realize how prepared I was until I was sitting in front of the computer on my first day, being assigned real tasks.

What steps did you take to get hired?

I uploaded my resume to job search sites and worked with two different recruiters. My first interview was for a WordPress shop, but it wasn't a great fit since I didn't have specific experience there.

After that, I applied to two other companies and received written offers from both of them, which was amazing.

I remember at the time thinking that I had found exactly what I was supposed to be doing with my life.

Was there a big difference in earnings?

Absolutely!

When I made the transition, I saw an immediate $100,000 annual salary increase.

What advice would you give other students considering ZTM?

I tend to view decisions through the lens of risk vs. reward, and joining ZTM was easily the lowest-risk, highest-reward decision I've ever made.

If there's one thing I wish someone had told me at the start, it's this:

You will never actually feel 'ready.'

As I said before, my struggle was that I studied the material down to every tiny detail and put off applying because I worried I hadn't memorized a specific function or algorithm. Once I got the job, though, I kept waiting for them to throw a task at me that I wasn't prepared to handle.

Eight years later, while there have certainly been challenges, I've realized there has never been anything I couldn't tackle with the skills I had from those courses.

You’re probably in the exact same position, so don't wait. Apply now before you feel ready. Chances are, you're already there!