Michael Edwards

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Interviewing After a Decade in the Trenches

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Publication Date: 15 July 2026
Author: Michael Edwards

Executive Summary

Re-entering the job market as a senior engineer after more than a decade in the industry reveals how dramatically technical hiring has evolved since 2013.

This post compares the agency test builds of 2013 with modern 2026 senior engineering interviews—focusing on system design, technical scoping, portfolio reviews, and architecture discussions.

Shifts in Senior Engineering Hiring

  • From "Can You Code This Component?" to "How Do You Scope System Trade-offs?": Modern senior interviews focus heavily on how you handle performance, API boundaries, security, and team onboarding.
  • Demonstrating Cross-Functional Impact: Showing how technical delivery directly supports business goals, Core Web Vitals, and editorial efficiency.
  • Live Architecture & Code Review Scenarios: Discussing real-world refactoring examples, custom WP-CLI tools, and headless API design.

Advice for Experienced Developers

Focus your story on real outcomes: systems scaled, outages prevented, team practices standardized, and products delivered under tight deadlines.