Developer Professional Development
At Lyquix, we are committed to empowering our Web Developers to grow their skills, expand their impact, and advance their careers. This guide serves as a roadmap for professional development, outlining the core technical and non-technical skills expected at each career level: Junior, Mid-Level, Senior, Lead, and Principal (see Technical Roles Levels).
By following this framework, you'll be able to:
- Identify the skills needed to perform effectively at your current level.
- Understand the areas to develop to advance to the next level.
- Align your learning and work with Lyquix's standards of excellence.
Our focus extends beyond technical proficiency. We value well-rounded developers who communicate effectively, think strategically, and contribute positively to our team culture and client success. Your growth is a collaborative effort, supported by mentorship, learning opportunities, and a clear progression pathway.
Expertise Levels
To guide your development, we use a system of Expertise Levels to measure your proficiency in specific skills, tools, or concepts. These levels provide a structured way to assess progress and identify growth opportunities. Use the table below to assess where you stand with each skill and identify steps to advance to the next level.
| 🟣 Familiarity | 🔵 Working Knowledge | 🟢 Proficiency | 🟡 Advanced Proficiency | 🔴 Mastery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awareness of a skill, tool, or concept but with little to no previous practical application. | Ability to perform basic tasks with abundant guidance; sufficient understanding to contribute in a supportive role. | Competence and independence in using a skill or tool to complete routine tasks effectively. | High level of skill, capable of solving complex problems and improving workflows; dependable expertise. | Recognized mastery of a skill or tool, capable of innovating and mentoring others; demonstrates thought leadership. |
Core Technical Skills
The following table outlines the essential skills and technologies for web developers at Lyquix. For each skill, the table specifies the level of expertise expected at different job levels.
Use this table to:
- Understand what is expected of you at your current level.
- Identify the skills you need to develop to advance to the next stage of your career.
- Track your progress and set goals for continuous improvement.
This table represents the minimum requirements for each job level. To be considered at a certain job level, you must meet all listed requirements at the expertise level shown. It is not enough to demonstrate that you are capable of performing a listed skill or task at the required expertise level; you must perform these tasks consistently and reliably.
For example, a Senior Developer is expected to be knowledgable about accessibility best practices, which includes tasks such as adding alt text to images. Forgetting or neglecting to include alt text, even once, without a justifiable reason (e.g., unforecastable circumstances), is not acceptable. At Lyquix, we rely on team members to deliver work that meets expectations consistently and correctly. Knowing what is required but failing to check for or implement it demonstrates a lack of diligence, which is not aligned with the expectations for any role.
This structured approach helps ensure that you not only meet current role expectations but also build the skills necessary for long-term success.
| Skill Area, Technology, or Tool | Junior | Mid-Level | Senior | Lead | Principal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontend | |||||
| HTML, CSS, and JavaScript | 🔵 | 🟢 | 🟡 | ||
| CSS pre-processors like SCSS | 🟣 | 🔵 | 🟢 | ||
| CSS frameworks like TailwindCSS | 🟣 | 🔵 | 🟢 | ||
| JavaScript frameworks like VueJS | 🟣 | 🔵 | 🟢 | ||
| TypeScript | 🟣 | 🔵 | 🟢 | ||
| Design tools like Figma to access and interprest designs | 🟣 | 🔵 | 🟢 | ||
| Image resizing, compression and selection of file format | 🟣 | 🔵 | 🟢 | ||
| Customizations for Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager | 🟣 | 🔵 | 🟢 | ||
| Integrate 3rd-party systems like maps, media players, social media feeds | 🟣 | 🔵 | 🟢 | ||
| Performance optimization techniques for frontend | 🟣 | 🔵 | |||
| SEO, usability and accessibility concepts and best practices | 🟣 | 🔵 | |||
| UI/UX design principles | 🟣 | 🟣 | 🟣 | ||
| E-mail development and testing | 🟣 | 🟣 | |||
| Mobile or desktop apps development (hybrid or native) | |||||
| Backend | |||||
| PHP | 🔵 | 🟢 | 🟡 | ||
| WordPress set up and administration | 🔵 | 🟢 | 🟡 | ||
| Custom WordPress theme development | 🔵 | 🟢 | 🟡 | ||
| Custom WordPress plugin development | 🟣 | 🔵 | 🟢 | ||
| Custom WordPress Gutenberg block development | 🟣 | 🔵 | 🟢 | ||
| Relational databases like MySQL | 🟣 | 🔵 | 🟢 | ||
| Linux, command line interfaces, and bash scripts | 🟣 | 🟢 | |||
| Integrations to APIs | 🟣 | 🔵 | |||
| Migrations | 🟣 | 🔵 | |||
| Performance optimization techniques for backend | 🟣 | 🔵 | |||
| DevOps practices and deployment skills | 🟣 | ||||
| Monitoring, analytics, and troubleshooting tools | |||||
| Systems scalability concepts | |||||
| Testing and QA frameworks, tools, and processes | |||||
| Infrastructure | |||||
| Setup hosting, repo, deployment, and SSL certificates using standard scripts and procedures | 🟣 | 🔵 | 🟢 | ||
| Administration and configuration of Apache web server | 🟣 | 🔵 | |||
| Networking and server concepts: TCP/IP, DNS, load balancing, HTTP | 🟣 | 🔵 | |||
| Private-public key encryption, SSL certificates | 🟣 | 🔵 | |||
| Docker and containerization | 🟣 | 🔵 | |||
| E-mail infrastructure concepts: SMTP, MIME, SPF, DKIM, DMARC | 🟣 | ||||
| General | |||||
| GIT, code repositories, branching workflows | 🟣 | 🔵 | 🟢 | ||
| Development best practices, processes, and security | 🟣 | 🔵 | 🟢 | ||
| Regular expressions | 🟣 | 🔵 | 🟢 | ||
| Collaboration and project management tools | 🟣 | 🔵 | 🟢 | ||
| Troubleshooting and debugging techniques | 🟣 | 🔵 | 🟢 | ||
| Locating and intepreting documentation | 🟣 | 🔵 | 🟢 | ||
| Stay updated on standards, trends, and tools | 🟣 | 🔵 | 🟢 | ||
| Working with 3rd-party support teams | 🟣 | 🔵 | 🟢 | ||
| Project management concepts and organizational skills | 🟣 | 🔵 | |||
| AI tools for developers | 🟣 | 🔵 | |||
| Creating and maintaining documentation | 🟣 |
Non-Technical Skills
These are skills that evolve as you grow in your role. They are not fixed but develop through practice, experience, and feedback. As you progress from Junior to Mid-Level, Senior, and beyond, the expectations for these skills increase in complexity and impact.
At each stage, you'll be expected to demonstrate a higher level of responsibility and independence, and apply these skills to more complex tasks, projects, and team dynamics.
Refer to Areas of Development for a complete description of the non-technical areas of development.
| Skill | Definition |
|---|---|
| Collaboration & Communication | |
| Team Collaboration | Works effectively with team members, valuing diverse perspectives and fostering inclusivity. |
| Clear Communication | Articulates ideas clearly and adapts style for technical and non-technical audiences. |
| Technical Articulation | Clearly explains technical concepts, solutions, and decisions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. |
| Constructive Feedback | Provides actionable, supportive feedback to colleagues and accepts input gracefully. |
| Knowledge Sharing | Proactively shares insights, expertise, and learnings to enhance team knowledge and growth. |
| Project Management Awareness | |
| Task Management | Organizes, prioritizes, and completes tasks efficiently, meeting deadlines consistently. |
| Understanding Project Workflows | Demonstrates awareness of project planning, execution, and dependencies to deliver results. |
| Client Focus | Ensures deliverables align with client goals and enhances the client experience. |
| Strategic Thinking & Business Acumen | |
| Big-Picture Thinking | Connects technical work to broader team, project, and organizational goals. |
| Strategic Decision-Making | Makes well-reasoned decisions that balance risks, value, and business objectives. |
| Continuous Improvement | Identifies opportunities to improve workflows, processes, and team performance. |
| Leadership & Mentorship | |
| Mentorship | Supports junior and mid-level team members, helping them learn, grow, and achieve goals. |
| Leadership | Drives team progress by setting a positive example, providing direction, and ensuring high-quality work. |
| Advocacy | Champions best practices, team needs, and technical excellence within the organization. |
Attitudes and Disposition
These are foundational qualities and work habits that define how you approach your work, your team, and challenges. Unlike skills that develop over time, these traits reflect a mindset and behavior that are expected consistently at all levels.
Attitudes and Disposition represent the qualities that build trust, foster collaboration, and drive success—both individually and as a team.
Refer to Expectations for a comprehensive list of value-based expectations.
| Skill | Definition |
|---|---|
| Problem-Solving Attitude | Tackles complex challenges proactively, finding innovative and effective solutions. |
| Analytical Thinking | Breaks down technical problems logically and applies systematic problem-solving approaches. |
| Organization and Discipline | Demonstrates excellent time management, prioritizes tasks effectively, and meets deadlines. |
| Attention to Detail | Delivers thorough, precise, and high-quality work while ensuring consistency and accuracy. |
| Optimism and Adaptability | Maintains a positive attitude and adjusts effectively to shifting priorities or challenges. |
| Initiative and Ownership | Takes responsibility for assigned tasks, anticipates challenges, and proactively finds ways to add value. |
| Reliability and Accountability | Follows through on commitments, takes ownership of outcomes, and ensures work meets high standards. |
| Professionalism | Upholds ethical standards, shows respect for colleagues and clients, and maintains composure in all situations. |
| Continuous Learning | Demonstrates curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, staying updated on trends, tools, and best practices. |