How do I apply as a Senior Software Engineer -- what does the market expect?

Senior level in IT is not merely a measure of experience but a competency pattern. LinkedIn Economic Graph 2025 and IAB on senior profiles in Germany: Senior (typically 5-8 years): Deep technical expertise in 2-3 technologies, demonstrated ownership of system components, mentoring juniors. On LinkedIn, 70% of senior profiles lack evidence of system ownership -- this is your differentiator. What recruiters in Germany look for: GitHub profile with complex, completed projects, contributions to open source or demonstrated architecture decisions, certifications (AWS Solutions Architect, Google Cloud Professional) as signals. Salary range for Senior SWE in Germany 2025 according to Entgeltatlas: 82,000-115,000 euros gross annual salary. Caveat: In the startup context (Berlin, Munich), senior labels are awarded inflationary -- critically question what 'senior' concretely means.