At a recent GDG Pretoria online careers meetup, Dinielia Pillay (Talent Partner at OfferZen) presented a talk titled “Your code is not your career strategy.”
Her core message: strong technical skills will get you hired, but they won’t automatically grow your career.
In a market shaped by AI, shifting hiring patterns, and rising expectations for senior engineers, developers need to think beyond code.
Here are the key takeaways:
1. You’re not paid to write code, you’re paid to solve problems
High-growth developers don’t just complete tickets. They understand:
- What business problem they’re solving
- Why it matters
- Whether there’s a better way
The difference between mid-level and senior often comes down to context. Seniors think about impact, trade-offs, and outcomes — not just implementation.
If you want to grow, start asking:
- Why are we building this?
- What metric does this move?
- Is this the simplest solution?
2. Communication is a career multiplier
As you grow, you’ll work more closely with non-technical stakeholders (product managers, clients, leadership).
Being able to explain:
- Technical decisions
- Trade-offs
- Risks
- Timelines
…is what builds trust.
“Technical depth earns respect. Clear communication earns influence.”
3. Ownership accelerates growth
There’s a big difference between: “My ticket is done.” and “The problem is solved.”
Developers who grow quickly:
- Raise issues proactively
- Suggest improvements
- Admit mistakes
- Ask for feedback
Ownership builds credibility. Credibility leads to bigger opportunities.
4. In the age of AI, adaptability matters more than ever
AI is not replacing developers. It’s changing how high-performing developers work.
Companies are increasingly looking for AI-enabled engineers, developers who:
- Use AI to increase efficiency
- Validate and reason about AI output
- Make sound technical decisions
Copy-pasting code isn’t a strategy. Judgment is. The real differentiator isn’t your ability to generate code, it’s your ability to think.
5. Build skills that transfer beyond your current role
Frameworks change. Tools evolve. AI will continue to improve.
But these skills compound over time:
- Problem-solving
- Decision-making
- Business understanding
- Stakeholder communication
- Adaptability
If your current tech stack disappeared tomorrow, your career shouldn’t.
The bottom line
Your code is your craft. But your career strategy is bigger than your craft.
Developers who grow sustainably don’t just optimise for technical excellence. They optimise for impact, adaptability, and ownership.
In a fast-changing industry, that’s what keeps you relevant.