The Changing Definition of Software Engineer Titles

No more twenty-five-year-old senior developers

Software engineering is undergoing a rampant change as the pendulum swings in favor of employers until things settle down. We went from over-hiring to mass layoffs to hitting some middle ground as 2024 goes on. One key thing I’ve noticed is titles aren’t going to be handed out like candy anymore.

However, this isn’t the worst thing in the world. The idea of being a senior engineer made it feel like you’re 75 years old, dying in a poorly run retirement home, but it’s an attack on pay, too.

Titles

Software development growth is changing rapidly, and systems are becoming more complex. We’re writing software in servers owned by other companies, using AI tools that are scaring morons into thinking about job security (the rich are destroying that enough as is), handling petabytes of data, etc.

The entire landscape has changed.

Things like authentication, application security, scaling of systems, data handling practices, etc., are growing in complexity. Requirements aren’t clear for these things, and engineers are needed for solutions from startups to large-size companies. Also, types of software engineering are emerging. Are you familiar with Cybersecurity…