BACK TO CAREER PATHS

Java Development

Learn about working in Java Development roles at Maxima Consulting.

Being an IT consulting company, technical experts, including software developers and software engineers, are at the core of our business. We understand how important their skills and expertise are to the success of the whole company and therefore focus on making them satisfied and curious. 

With Java being one of the most popular programming languages among our clients, we decided to make it a basis for our career path presentation. However, you may definitely draw many similarities between Java Developer’s career path and other software developers’ paths.

Read further to learn what is needed at different stages of a Java Developer’s career, what to expect when it comes to daily tasks and duties, and what tools are commonly used by Junior, Mid (Regular), and Senior Java Developers at Maxima Consulting.

Junior Java Developer

Prior relevant experience: 0+ months

Time typically spent in this role: 2-3 years

Important note: Junior developers aren’t usually required to possess all skills and experience listed below.

Responsibilities

  • Focus on learning
  • Coding
  • Performing tests
  • Fixing bugs
  • Attending team meetings and joining the discussions
  • Working independently on simple tasks
  • Working together with senior developers on more complex tasks

Skills & traits

  • Basic Java proficiency
  • Knowledge of data structure and basic algorithms 
  • Good understanding of software development lifecycle
  • Some cloud knowledge
  • Some experience with databases, REST API, messaging services, build tools, and testing tools
  • Problem-solving mindset
  • Passionate about programming
  • Eager to learn
  • Basics of Spring and/or Kafka
  • Ability to focus on client’s priorities
  • At least a basic knowledge of Agile and Scrum
  • Teamwork and communication skills
  • Courage to seek help and ask questions

Tools

  • Code repositories (e.g. Git) - used every day
  • Code scanners (e.g. Sonar) - used regularly
  • Testing frameworks (e.g. jUnit) - used regularly
  • Containers (e.g. Docker) - used from time to time
  • Build and deployment tools (e.g. Gradle, Azure DevOps) - used from time to time, usually with assistance from DevOps

Regular Java Developer

Prior relevant experience: 2-3 years

Time typically spent in this role: 2-3 years

Responsibilities

  • Coding
  • Performing tests
  • Fixing bugs
  • Modifying and testing APIs
  • Actively participating in team meetings and other meetings
  • Working independently and in a team environment
  • Continuously learning

Skills & traits

  • Proficiency in Java
  • Good knowledge of data structure and algorithms 
  • Experience with software development lifecycle
  • Experience with cloud
  • Relevant experience with databases, REST API, messaging services, build tools, and testing tools
  • Good problem-solving skills
  • Software testing experience
  • Knowledge of Spring, Kafka, Mongo DB, AWS, Azure DevOps, and Git
  • Ability to understand client’s requirements and priorities
  • Experience with Agile and Scrum
  • Teamwork and communication skills

Tools

  • Code repositories (e.g. Git) - used every day
  • Code scanners (e.g. Sonar) - used regularly
  • Testing frameworks (e.g. jUnit) - used regularly
  • Containers (e.g. Docker) - used from time to time
  • Build and deployment tools (e.g. Gradle, Azure DevOps) - used from time to time, usually with assistance from DevOps

Senior Java Developer

Prior relevant experience: 5-6 years

Time typically spent in this role: 3+ years

Responsibilities

  • Coding
  • Performing tests
  • Prioritizing and fixing bugs
  • Modifying and testing APIs
  • Actively sharing opinions and proposing solutions in team meetings
  • Supporting team members with expert advice
  • Being a subject matter expert during meetings with clients
  • Working independently
  • Facilitating teamwork
  • Supporting and encouraging junior developers
  • Coaching other team members
  • Understanding the bigger picture of the project
  • Continuously learning

Skills & traits

  • Java expertise
  • Thorough experience with software development lifecycle in traditional, cloud, and hybrid environments
  • Solid experience with databases, REST API, messaging services, build tools, and testing tools
  • Very good problem-solving skills
  • Proficiency in testing
  • Strong proficiency in Spring, Kafka, design patterns, refactoring
  • Ability to address issues and pain points effectively
  • Good knowledge of the client’s business model, requirements, and priorities
  • Solid experience with Agile and Scrum
  • Excellent teamwork and communication skills

Tools

  • Code repositories (e.g. Git) - used every day
  • Code scanners (e.g. Sonar) - used regularly
  • Testing frameworks (e.g. jUnit) - used regularly
  • Containers (e.g. Docker) - used from time to time
  • Build and deployment tools (e.g. Gradle, Azure DevOps) - used from time to time, usually with assistance from DevOps

Software Architect

Prior relevant experience: 6+ years

Time typically spent in this role: 5+ years

Responsibilities

  • Designing software solutions
  • Supporting the team in setting priorities and overcoming the challenges in coding, testing, and bug-fixing
  • API oversight
  • Leading and facilitating discussions at team meetings
  • Advocating for the best solutions at meetings with clients
  • Supporting team members with expert advice
  • Being the company’s one point of contact for your area of expertise
  • Working independently and leading others
  • Coaching other team members
  • Complete understanding of the project
  • Continuously learning 

Skills & traits

  • Understanding of languages, frameworks, and tools the team uses
  • Expertise in object-oriented design, data structures, and algorithms
  • Experience with databases, multithreading, network programming, and performance monitoring
  • Very good knowledge of the client’s business model, requirements, and priorities
  • Thorough experience with Agile and Scrum
  • Excellent leadership, teamwork, and communication skills
  • Excellent problem-solving skills
  • Ability to lead and oversee the software development lifecycle
  • Ability to facilitate effective software tests to boost the quality of the digital product
  • Ability to address issues and pain points effectively
  • Ability to examine various approaches and solutions to make research-led, fact-based recommendations

Tools

  • Visual modeling and diagramming tools
  • Practical experience with tools used by the team

Recommended courses and certifications

Keep in mind that certificates and courses help in systematizing your knowledge, but are rarely essential to getting the job. It’s much more important to be a person who learns all the time and is up to date with tools, languages, and frameworks used every day.

Certificates

Recommended topics for additional courses

  • Kafka
  • Mongo DB
  • DevOps

Our developers recommend courses you can find on Udemy and Pluralsight, although YouTube courses and ChatGPT are also popular ways of learning new skills for them.

Join Maxima Consulting

We’re always on the lookout for creative problem-solvers who enjoy building software solutions to join our team. Apply for a job at Maxima Consulting and enjoy a flat organizational structure, open-door policy, support of your professional growth, friendly work environment, and stability.

Browse current openings

Read about making the right career choices

Table of contents