Software engineer, programmer or wizard

Introduction

I have been named many things (with respect to my profession) some of them were not actually correct. Should I correct people? Should I be worried about this?

Naming

They say that naming something creates it. Does being called a Software Engineer increases our work level? Does it give more respect profession-wise?

As our discipline evolves, we have had many names from programmers, to software developers, software engineers, or even wizards!

We can agree that naming something, creates it, it is important that the name of a things reflect the thing itself.

Origins

I remember how my mother said that I programmed web pages. Of course it made me a bit furious because it was not web pages, but web apps. However, for the common human, it does not matter. Even programmer of web thingies could I have been named.

During that time I was very self-concious about how I wanted to show myself to the professional world. I hated terms like coder, or programmer and would like terms like engineer. To be fair, I studied an Engineering degree at University (Ingeniería Informática) but it does not matter.

Second company, and later ones…

were the ones where I discovered that actually my feelings about the naming of my position were (in part) created by my insecurity in how others percieved my job.

I started my career in a small city were people have small-town mentality. Companies there work as XIX century factories. You are not treated as an intelectual worker, but as a resource. So by using my title as a shield, I thought I could be professional in a place were that was not valued at all.

Of course that does not make sense. People are not going to behave or treat you differently because you refer to yourself as engineer or whatever adjetive you use.

Once you start having relationships with people that do not use their title as a description of what they do but the other way around. I mean, if you act as a X you will be an X.

Merithocracy

After several jobs in better work environments, I have got the point where I do not care about my title, if people call me software engineer, programmer or wizard of the dark arts. What does it actually matter? What I do. Do I provide value to the company I work for?

On the other hand, you have to be in the right place. If you do not feel valued, you need to jump ship. Once you reach to the point that you cannot grow more in a company, you need to leave or at least you need to start interviewing.

I remember an anecdote were I was talking to a person that had no university degree and feel bad about it. I just simply told her the truth: most of the times in my life, the very talented co-workers, the best of the best had no degree at all. I have asked them for help uncountable number of times. Of course maybe they are not able to create a heuristic for optimize a problem but… is it really that important for the company they work for? No, of course not.

Diversity

I was not considering that humans are diverse. We are different in so many ways. Humans are diverse in our ideas, experiences, education, culture, etc. Let’s celebrate that! Let’s try to learn something from anybody. Let’s not limit ourselves to the ones with an education, some ideas, experiences, etc. Every human is valuable and actually if you interact with them, you will learn something. Maybe something about your profession, maybe not, but you will not return empty-handed.

With respect to our profession, information from somebody theoretically less educated than you can help you grown immensily. That person is good at what is doing. Are you going to reject what is telling to you because of their qualifications? Does it make sense at all? No, it does not. You are missing a professional because

Conclussion

Change jobs frequently at the start of your career until you feel appreciated. Appreciate and cellebrate diversity, learn from people with different background (culturaly, personally and professionally). Do not use your university degree as leverage to ask for a better job. Show what you are able to do.