Is software engineering a good career? Well there are many things to consider when deciding which one to pursue. For one thing, it is a very advanced field which means that there are many books on the subject which you should definitely check out. Secondly, it is a very stable career which means that you won’t be changing jobs very often. Thirdly, it is a fairly young career which means that you won’t be getting very far without a degree.
When it comes to making money off of your own software engineering career, there is no shortage of opportunities. There are a number of very high-paying options open to software engineers. The top three to consider are:
1. A software-related degree. This is usually associated with becoming a software engineer. Many software-related degrees, such as those in computer and software engineering, may be acquired in the university level.
2. A software-related management degree. This degree will allow you to leverage experience gained in the software industry into managing software.
3. A software-related patent-holding degree. This degree will allow you to become involved in software policy making through creating briefs for government agencies on software issues.
It is important to realize that all of these degrees do not guarantee a job or a promotion. If you get a job or a promotion because of a good college education, you can easily get a job after graduation. If you get a job or a promotion because of a bad college education, you will most likely not get a job or a promotion after graduation.
Just like any other occupation, having a good resume helps you stand out from the crowd. A well-written, well-remembered CV is essential if you are going to get any kind of job offer.
Is software engineering a good career? I have 5 reasons why I think so. Let me know in the comment section below if you are interested. I also invite you to follow me on Twitter – @gordonholmes
Now, onto the actual question: what is software engineering? To answer this, we need to go back to the very first question. When we think of software engineering as a barren wasteland, what we really mean is that software engineering is a high risk, high reward venture.
That we cannot build a reliable, trustworthy, or even moderately secure software system without at least some form of oversight and regulation. That we cannot have blind spots and exploitable vulnerabilities without at least some form of oversight and regulation. That we cannot have a single company or collection of companies creating or maintaining all the software in the world.
That we cannot rely on the goodwill and goodwill of third parties, especially when that goodwill and goodwill may well be misplaced. That we cannot rely on the goodwill of the entity that created the software in the first place.
That we cannot rely on the goodwill of the entity that created the infrastructure that the software will be available over the long run. That we cannot rely on the goodwill of the entity that owns the intellectual property that we are attempting to protect.
That we cannot rely on the goodwill of people who have invested a great deal of time, money and effort into the creation of a piece of software. People who are not computer-savvy tend not to be involved in software development. People who are computer-savvy but not involved in software development tend to be management types.
People who do not like ambiguity are more likely to develop an issue on a software project, a feeling that there is uncertainty surrounding a product or a lack of clear guidance from a lead engineer.
Is software engineering a good career? I have 6-figures & thousands of dollars in debt, but I digress. I want to talk about something that probably surprises no-one: transgender people.
I was shocked when I heard this news. I always assumed that being transgender was a phase. A very, very small percentage of transgender people transition into male or female identities.
I also didn’t expect to hear that trans people are not only welcome in our company, but that our manager is also a trans woman. It’s a relief to know that this is a thing of the past.
I have four children under the age of 10. I am fascinated by how the world is changing. I am also fascinated that people still do not accept my gender identity. I wonder if there is something inherently masculine about being a software engineer. I wonder if there is something inherently feminine about solving problems. I wonder if there is something inherently geeky about using the most powerful computer languages.
I wonder if there is something inherently feminine about being able to solve complex problems and see your code integrated into medical devices. I feel like there is something inherently masculine about being the only person who can take a concept and turn it into a product.
I wonder if there is something inherently feminine about being able to effectively communicate ideas across teams and see your phone rings and your e-mails are being read.
I wonder if there is something inherently masculine about being the only person who can effectively motivate people to do a specific task and the only person who has the technical expertise to carry out a specific plan.
I feel like there is something inherently masculine about being the only person who can effectively handle extreme physical workloads and being simultaneously admired and feared by your peers.
Is software engineering a good career? Well, I have some bad news for you…
The good news is that you can very easily get a job as a software engineer without doing any of the above. The problem is that almost all of the top software companies in the world require a college degree for hiring.
The other problem is that most of the jobs on the rise require a high volume of job applications. That’s not going to happen any time soon.
The only way to stop a job from growing is to stop hiring. Hiring, once it’s too big to ignore, always leads to bigger and more visible job openings.
That’s not to say that all software engineers should just drop their software skills and become web developers. That wouldn’t work as intended. But if you can integrate both of those areas into your day-to-day routine, you’ve got a job that’s well-positioned.
Here’s how it works: a web developer coordinates the development of complex applications such as games, medical records and so on.
A software engineer coordinates the development of self-driving cars. They both need a good understanding of computer programming, and a good understanding of computer operating systems.
You can be a software engineer and a hardware engineer, or a hardware engineer and a software engineer. It depends on your skill set and the platform you’re working on.
If you’re a software engineer, you have a lot of options. You can start coding right out of high school. If you’re a hardware engineer, you have a lot of options. You can get a ‘credential’ from your school or an accredited college. You can also get this as a side gig, and if you do a little web development for a living, you can also take that to the next level.
