Empowering Growth: The Art of Harnessing Your Mentor's Expertise as a Senior Developer

As a senior developer, you have likely acquired a wealth of technical knowledge and honed your skills through years of experience. However, even the most seasoned professionals can benefit from the guidance and expertise of a mentor. In fact, harnessing the wisdom of a mentor can be a powerful tool for accelerating your growth and development in the field.

In this session, we will explore the art of empowering your growth as a senior developer by leveraging your mentor's expertise. We will discuss how to find the right mentor, establish effective communication channels, and create a mutually beneficial relationship. Additionally, we will delve into the specific ways in which a mentor can contribute to your professional growth, including expanding your technical knowledge, providing career guidance, and offering invaluable insights based on their own experiences.

From Silent Coder to Respected Leader

As Java celebrates its 30th anniversary, discover how both a programming language and a programmer can transform from isolation to community leadership. This presentation weaves together Java's evolution from Sun's closed walls to today's thriving open ecosystem with my personal journey from an antisocial "silent coder" to an international conference speaker.

I'll reveal how my 25-year career mirrors Java's own transformation. Just as Java grew from a niche embedded language to powering enterprise applications worldwide, I evolved from someone who got rejected from jobs for being "unsuitable for teamwork" to mentoring developers and speaking at Devoxx.

You'll learn practical strategies for your own growth journey: how fitness instruction unexpectedly taught me presentation skills, why JavaOne 2014 became my turning point, and how finding mentors accelerated my transformation. Whether you're an introvert avoiding the spotlight or a team lead wanting to inspire others, this talk demonstrates that technical excellence alone isn't enough, true impact comes through knowledge sharing and community participation.

Walk away with actionable steps to evolve from consumer to contributor in the Java ecosystem, proving that extraordinary growth happens when we step outside our comfort zones.

A Developer's Search for Meaning: Thriving as AI Transforms Our World

This presentation explores how developers and IT professionals are reconstructing their occupational identity as AI transform our field.

As generative AI increasingly handle tasks we once considered core to our professional identity, many experienced developers face an existential question: "What makes me valuable as a programmer if AI can code?"

Using occupational science concepts as well as drawing inspiration from Viktor Frankl's seminal work, we'll examine three critical phases developers experience: identity construction (actively rebuilding professional self-concept), identity discrepancy (the gap between past and present roles), and identity disruption (acute crisis of professional worth). Through real developer stories and research insights, we'll reveal how those thriving in this transition find meaning not in circumstances, but in their chosen response to change.

This unique collaboration between a software architect and occupational therapist offers both technical depth and humanistic insight. We'll provide practical strategies for evolving from "code writer" to "AI shepherd," transforming existential anxiety into purposeful occupation.

Have been presented at Devoxx BE 2025, https://youtu.be/Jo5mOBRr2b4