Senior engineers are judged by calm under pressure, not just technical skill

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A DEV Community piece argues that seniority is revealed less by smooth workdays than by how an engineer behaves during incidents. It describes a scenario of a database corruption, client escalation, and broken code arriving late on a Friday afternoon. The author contends that calm, competent people steady a team in crisis, while panic spreads just as easily. The article suggests that technical depth earns a hiring decision, but emotional stability is what earns a leader broader trust. The overall message is that composure during incidents is a core marker of engineering leadership.

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