Start your own business, then put whatever title you'd like on your business cards.

Seriously, I'd echo what others have said: read, write code, debug (your own code and others'), contribute to group projects, participate in discussion groups (online and in person).

You need to learn not only a programming language (learning several is even better), but also how to design a large piece of software, how to plan and oversee a team project, how to find and fix problems in code and in design, how to gather requirements from the people who will use your software and communicate instructions and solutions back to them, and how to deal with managers and others who want more done, cheaper, faster, and with fewer people.

You can read about some of these things, but others require real-world experience to master.

In reply to Re: how to become senior programmer? by Cubes
in thread how to become senior programmer? by Anonymous Monk

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