To grow a mustache, you first grow a beard, then you shave everything but the mustache.
Similarly, start your career doing as much as you can
To grow a mustache you first grow a beard. Growing a beard happens gradually and feels natural. People tend to not point it out unless they haven’t seen you in a while. Then one day you shave everything but the mustache and suddenly you grew a mustache out of nowhere!
To grow a career you must first grow your overall knoweldge and capability. Growing knowledge happens gradually and feels natural. People tend not to point it out unless they haven’t seen you in a while. The one day you stop coding and suddenly you’ve become a lead out of nowhere!
The types of work you don’t take are as important as types you do take when defining your role. At the start you may want to say no to “glue” work to focus on coding. Later, when moving into a lead role, you may drop coding and focus entirely on mentoring and guidance. Pick the right focus for the right time in your career that matches expectations of your client (company).