Trapped in the Big Tech Assembly Line

How I Became a "JS Coder" Instead of a Frontend Developer

Four years ago, I joined a big Chinese tech company as a bright-eyed junior frontend developer, eager to build things end-to-end. Fast forward to today, and I've mastered the art of churning out React components, tweaking CSS animations, and fulfilling complex business requirements—but little else.

At first, it felt like progress. My JavaScript became sharper, my UIs smoother. But over time, I realized I wasn't growing as an engineer—just as a cog. The system here is optimized for scale, which means work is sliced into hyper-specialized tasks:

• You don't configure Webpack—the platform team handles it.
• You don't touch APIs—the backend team owns the Swagger docs.
• You don't deploy—CI/CD is a magical pipeline you never see.

I've become a UI assembly worker, not a problem solver. And that's terrifying.

The "Senior" Illusion

In theory, I'm a mid-senior developer now. But in reality, my scope is narrower than ever. The company rewards output (tickets closed, features shipped), not breadth or ownership. Seniority isn't about understanding systems—it's about doing your tiny piece faster.

This became painfully clear when I interviewed elsewhere recently. Questions like:

• "How'd you optimize bundle size?" → "Uh, I've never touched the config…"
• "How do you structure API error handling?" → "We use a company-wide SDK, so…"

I froze. Four years of experience, yet gaps wider than a junior's.

The Long Working Hour Grind and the Learning Drought

My routine is familiar to many—long hours (if you know, you know), rapid sprint, and a mountain of tasks that never seem to shrink.

At first, I told myself: "This is how you gain experience." And in a way, it was true. I became fast at slicing UI designs into React components, debugging obscure CSS edge cases, and handling complex state management. But as the months turned into years, I realized something unsettling:

The worst part? Even if I wanted to learn, I'm too exhausted to try. After a 12-hour workday, the last thing my brain wants is to wrestle with a new tech stack. Weekends? Recovery mode. I tell myself: "Next month, I'll study." But next month is just more of the same.

Breaking the Cycle

I don't have a perfect solution—but here's what I'm trying:

1. The 1% Rule

Instead of waiting for "free time", I squeeze in micro-learning:

• Morning Routine: 1 hour before work to study algorithms
• Commute Time: Listening to tech podcasts about new information
• Lunch Break: 30 minutes of reading tech blogs or watching educational content
• Weekends: Working on side projects that force me to learn new skills

The key is consistency over intensity. Small, daily investments compound into significant growth over time.

2. Weaponizing Work Tasks

Even in a narrow role, there are tiny cracks for learning:

• "Can I optimize this component's re-renders?" → Deep dive into React.
• "How does this work?" → Peek into the projects' config.
• "Why does he/she do that?" → Learn from senior coworkers.

3. The Nuclear Option: A Job Hunt

Sometimes, the only way out is out. I'm now looking for roles that:

• Respect work-life balance (so I can actually study).
• Expect frontend devs to own more of the stack.

It's scary, but staying scared forever is worse.

Final Thought: Is This Really Just a "Me" Problem?

I used to blame myself—"If I were more disciplined, I'd study after work!" But the truth is, no one can sustainably grow in a system designed to burn them out.