Ask HN: What do you do when you are only getting interviews for senior position?

I recently experienced a layoff and have been looking for new opportunities. While I have received several interviews, they have primarily been for senior-level positions (I did not apply for these positions).

My initial work experience after college was at a company with a less structured engineering culture (I only found this out after leaving). My subsequent role posed a significant culture shock as the engineering practices were more advanced, leading to a challenging transition for me. Despite my efforts to develop my skills and improve, I was eventually laid off. Currently, with four years of professional experience, I am being considered for senior positions. However, I view myself as an intermediate developer who has room for improvement in my engineering practices.

I am facing a challenge in accurately presenting my skills and experience to potential employers. On one hand, if I present myself as an intermediate developer when interviewing for senior role, I risk losing the opportunity. On the other hand, if I accept a senior position, I am concerned that I may not be able to meet expectations. What do I do?

My hunch is that you're experiencing title inflation.

If I am correct, the hiring manager knows you have 4 years experience and isn't necessarily focused on hiring "Senior" but more interested in people who have a proven track record, which 4 years in is.

The way to really distinguish my guess from reality is to ask a lot of questions about the expected duties. If they fall within or near your current experience then you're all set.

If they are asking you to make big decisions about technical direction or influencing development teams then the hiring manager is really looking for a more experience person. Still, in my opinion, if they're giving you an interview and if you think you can meet the expectations then no harm, otherwise you should pass.

First off, "Senior" is a pretty nebulous term and can mean different things to different people and different companies. Some companies have fairly detailed definitions of what is expected at different levels, and others don't. For the latter, "Senior" likely means "we don't want to have to teach you to code". Whether or not you want to work at a place like that is up to you and the conversation that you have with them in the interview. I wouldn't worry too much about labels, especially in times like these.

It seems like you've got a bit of imposter syndrome. Its normal. You've got four years of experience at multiple companies. I'm sure it will be challenging but its better to push yourself a bit and fail sometimes than stagnate forever. You'll do just fine.

If you’re after growth, go for those roles. Be clear on what you need as a development plan and any support. Perhaps be honest on your gaps so they know and have those developed as you grow.

It seems only senior level positions are available, and the few other positions are entry. There are also places that hire based on a flat job title (SWE) and just adjust the price dependent on experience.

There is currently a huge shortage of highly skilled technical jobs. So at least IME in the US, companies are falling over themselves to throw large sums of money at experts that largely don't exist.

Outside of that some really couldn't care less. It may be because the often (and sometimes correctly) think that you will require just as much training to get up to speed, but will want far more money.

Hiring recently has be insanity. It's not just post-covid. Companies have no idea what they want, expect to put little effort into hiring, and reject huge numbers of candidates, but claim the market is bare.