I hear the voice of the machine spirit!
Serious question, not a native speaker: Why do people in the Anglosphere refer to mostly-software companies as tech companies, or to software developers as tech workers?
Because even in those companies many of the ‘computer people’ are not software developers. Tech workers is a catch all term for most people at those companies.
But the term isn’t used for technology outside of software companies, for example, mechanical and electrical engineering
Tech is short-hand for technology.
So, technology companies and technology workers.
Not engineer.
At least here in Germany, engineer is a protected profession. Other than that: All of the above.
Hmmm. But all the people around me working in software studied multiple years in an Engineering field. In my case, I studied a 5-year industrial engineering and two masters afterwards; I feel very comfortable wearing the “software engineer” or more accurately “robotics engineer” badge.
During the 2008 recession, a lot of Uber drivers had engineering degrees. I guess we should start calling Uber drivers engineers too.
Yeah, same in the UK. Really annoyed me that the plumber, electrician… etc were all engineers. In Germany it’s as protected as calling yourself doctor, which ultimately affects how people view the profession and the salaries they command
I mean, it’s a protected term in Canada too but it doesn’t necessarily lead to higher salaries.
My cousin who’s an electrician made about as much as I did as an electrical engineer, and I left electrical engineering to be a software developer because it paid more. Engineering paid more than being an electrical technician / designer, but not by a huge amount.
Softwareingenieur darf man sich nennen, wenn man ein mathematisch-naturwissenschaftliches Fach studiert hat, wo Informatik dazugehört. Somit ist Software Engineer oder Softwareingenieur die korrekte Berufsbezeichnung für alle mit einem Bachelor/Master oder höher in Informatik.
I prefer Software Engineer, mostly because I studied at an engineering school and have a degree in Software Engineering. My actual titles have varied throughout my career, but I overall consider myself a software engineer.
I’m curious if you’ve looked up whether you’re allowed to call yourself an engineer in some states (US centric of course)? I read years ago that some states really frown on calling yourself an engineer if you aren’t a certain small range of engineers that they have codified (pun intended) in law.
I think that’s only a civil engineering thing.
Source: work in the industry, and “Civil Engineer” and “Professional Engineer” are legally protected titles. Other than that, it’s fair game. Like, there are “Design Engineers” in the civil sector that don’t have their Professional Engineer certification.
My friends call me “Please fix my printer”.
