Senior Platform Gap Checklist
A self-audit for engineers with 5–8+ years map strengths, close security and reliability gaps, and prioritize what hiring managers probe.
Senior Platform Gap Checklist
If you already run production systems, skip beginner tutorials. Use this self-audit quarterly. Score each row: 0 = not in place, 1 = partial, 2 = automated and tested.
Scoring guide
| Total score (max 34) | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| 28–34 | Staff-ready platform posture; focus on mentoring and strategy |
| 18–27 | Strong operator; close gaps in lowest-scoring section first |
| < 18 | Prioritize automation and security gates before new tool adoption |
90-day improvement plan
- Week 1–2: Score honestly with your team lead; pick two rows at 0.
- Week 3–8: Ship one automation per gap (pipeline rule, policy, or runbook).
- Week 9–12: Tabletop incident; document evidence for compliance or promotion packet.
Interview alignment
Senior interviews rarely ask syntax. Prepare stories for:
- A production incident you led and what changed afterward
- How you introduced scanning without blocking all releases
- A Terraform or K8s migration that reduced risk
- Trade-off between speed and compliance (with numbers)