Understanding the framework
Our progression framework has been developed to help all software engineers know what's expected of them and what they need to do to further their careers at Inviqa.
Understanding the role requirements
The roles sections shows the available progression paths. Look at these with your line manager as well as the role descriptions to get an understanding of what is required of each role that is of interest to you.
It is also worth studying the accompanying skills definitions for the roles you are interested in. Reading each skill individually will give you a good understanding of the scale of individual skills. You can also use the Inviqa Me Matrix for a different perspective, it helps comparing roles across all skills.
How to interpret the skills definitions
Skills describe what we expect from our Software Engineers. There are ~20 skills split into 5 categories that cover both technical and non-technical aspects of your work. Each skill has a description and definitions for the increasing ranks of seniority.
The level definitions describe what is expected from you upon reaching the corresponding role. It does not represent what you might be starting to learn for the next rank. Just to clarify, if you are reading definitions for your current role, then you should already be able to demonstrate most of these requirements.
Defining the skills is not an exact science and is done "by example". When it comes to assessing your level of seniority, you may feel you have other strengths of similar value which are not covered - this is valid! You need to apply common sense when interpreting the skills. You cannot disregard the full definition for your own, but you could have alternative strengths to a couple of points. If this is the case you can consider opening a PR to contribute your perspective if you feel it could apply more generally to others.
Skill levels and pre-requisites
The level numbers increase from 1 up to 7, but are not aligned to the SFIA understanding of levels. This is because our leveling system is not always linear as we have diverging technical and managerial tracks.
As level numbers increase, the previous level becomes a pre-requisite for your current level (e.g. at level 3 you would be expected to satisfy the definition for level 2).
If level definitions have the same number but a different suffix then they do not depend or pre-requisite each other. We use the 'M' suffix to represent Managerial and 'T' for Technical. (e.g. 5M and 5T would both have 4 as a pre-requisite but do not depend on each other. Similarly if a skill has 5M, 5T, 6M, 6T then 6T would depend on 5T and 4, but neither 5M nor 6M).
Core vs focused skills
Technical skills are split into two categories: core and focused.
Core skills
Core skills are essential to any engineering role so you should satisfy all of these for your level.
Focused skills
Focused skills are elective skills. You are expected to satisfy at least 3 (out of 8 possible) skills for your desired level.
This elective system allows us to cater for everyone under a single domain title of "Software Engineer" regardless of specialism. It also means that we can accommodate those who traditionally might have considered themselves "full stack". It also may encourage progression in areas you prefer, while working towards the goals of the engineering team.
Note: The DevOps (iOPS) is a required skill for any member of the DevOps team.
Do I need to satisfy all of these skills?
In an ideal world, all engineers would satisfy the required level of every skill for their role (including their chosen electives). The reality is that we all have strengths and weaknesses. There will be some areas that you shine more at than others - this is normal. It doesn't mean that you shouldn't strive to improve these skills to be the best you can be, but in most cases you will not be held back because you are lacking aspects of some skills (as long as they are not fundamental to your role).
Making a plan for progression
The progression overview explains the process and how to prepare for advancing your role.
Remember to use Inviqa Me in catch ups with your line manager; record your achievements regularly, set your goals, ask for feedback often to assess your progress. Make a plan for progression early and get started on the road to gaining the experience and evidence you need to get promoted.
If you're lacking training then seek it out through the courses available in Inviqa Me. If nothing internal is available then you can help by finding external material and building a Bridge course for others in future - which will help advance your Community skill!
Good luck.