My work is only tangential to the software engineering industry. Therefore, my view may not be as applicable as others.
I think it’s inappropriate for this senior manager to have given any feedback about the status or requirements of this project directly to you. As a recent graduate, I would hardly consider you to be responsible for any project management duties. It’s up to the project manager to set expectations and make decisions regarding things like meeting a deadline. In this case, I would assume the project manager is your direct manager.
There is a direct correlation between the output of a project and its inputs: the deadline, any specific requirements, and resources provided to the individual contributors assigned to the project (e.g. a senior resource providing code review). The project manager’s duty is to be the “neck to wring” when there are issues with the project. That is why they are responsible for communicating and setting expectations.
Perhaps your manager did not handle these duties well in this instance. In fact, it sounds to me like this is the case based on your story. Because your manager was not present in this meeting, the senior manager apparently chose to wring YOUR neck instead, which is inappropriate, especially given your tenure.
This is going to happen to you a lot in your career. You can protect yourself or prevent it by keeping good records of your actions. For example, your commit messages could contain a copy of whatever specifications you received, or you can make a habit of confirming your assumptions via email with the appropriate contacts in copy.
Either way, don’t take this too hard. You are unfortunately bearing the brunt of unprofessional behavior that is happening well above your head. The fact that you completed the project and feel proud of the output is what you should remember from this experience.
I think it’s inappropriate for this senior manager to have given any feedback about the status or requirements of this project directly to you. As a recent graduate, I would hardly consider you to be responsible for any project management duties. It’s up to the project manager to set expectations and make decisions regarding things like meeting a deadline. In this case, I would assume the project manager is your direct manager.
There is a direct correlation between the output of a project and its inputs: the deadline, any specific requirements, and resources provided to the individual contributors assigned to the project (e.g. a senior resource providing code review). The project manager’s duty is to be the “neck to wring” when there are issues with the project. That is why they are responsible for communicating and setting expectations.
Perhaps your manager did not handle these duties well in this instance. In fact, it sounds to me like this is the case based on your story. Because your manager was not present in this meeting, the senior manager apparently chose to wring YOUR neck instead, which is inappropriate, especially given your tenure.
This is going to happen to you a lot in your career. You can protect yourself or prevent it by keeping good records of your actions. For example, your commit messages could contain a copy of whatever specifications you received, or you can make a habit of confirming your assumptions via email with the appropriate contacts in copy.
Either way, don’t take this too hard. You are unfortunately bearing the brunt of unprofessional behavior that is happening well above your head. The fact that you completed the project and feel proud of the output is what you should remember from this experience.