Software Engineer Career Ladder: Don’t Copy-Paste, Make Your Own!

Interview with Tim Olshansky, EVP of Product & Engineering at Zenput on creating a software engineer career ladder for your own team.This isn't a template you can just copy and paste, then forget it ever even existed. This is a guide to creating a meaningful engineering career ladder from Tim, who has been through it more than once.In this interview we're covering:Building a software engineer career ladder at ZenputThe first steps of building a career ladderPeople to involve in the processKey differences between the career levelsThe importance of experience in the career ladderThe transition to engineering managementThe role of engineering leaders and managers in the career ladderUpdating your engineering career ladderCommon mistakes in creating software engineer career laddersExcerpt from the interview:"The first four levels of the engineering career ladder are about writing code. Engineers on these levels do their part in supporting their team too, but it isn’t their focus. As they move beyond the senior engineer level, supporting the team becomes their priority.Either they choose engineering management and do one-on-ones, feedback sessions, and everything that comes with it, or they pick technical leadership, and help people make the right technology decisions.They end up working with people on the highest levels either way."Click here to read the full interview!

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Level-Up Engineering brings you actionable management insights straight from top tech leaders. Each episode tackles real challenges faced by engineering managers—like hiring, motivating teams, and scaling organizations—and shares how they have navigated them. Discover best practices in management and leadership to master the art of understanding people and organizations, just as well as you understand code. Brought to you by **Apex Lab**, a software development agency creating stress-free, expert-led digital products. Tune in to level up your skills and take your team to new heights! Learn more at [apexlab.io](https://www.apexlab.io/). Got feedback or want to be featured on **Level-Up Engineering**? Reach out to us at [podcast@apexlab.io](mailto:podcast@apexlab.io).