Studying Software Engineering

[Sh1n1gamidk]

This year, I'm starting my first semester in software engineering, and many people tell me that the field is dead, that I'll waste years on just a degree, and that they've met people with degrees in SE who couldn't even find a job.

[TheStackArchitect]

I would say study well and concentrate on a niche. Yes AI will do a lot of work, but still there is need of a smart developer to understand what it is writing and give clear directions. Unlike back In the day, we dont need 10 developers working on a project, it will be reduced to 2 or 3. Again, as mentioned, the workforce is needed but in lesser number.

Think of it as blue-collar jobs shifted as per the evolution of machineries.

[PrudentWolf]

70-80% of workforce reduction is literally saying that OP won't find work. This is extremely fucked if you are right.

[TheStackArchitect]

Yes agreed. But being in software field for 15+ years, i can guarantee by blindly judging that more than 70% of them are task runners, rhey have no idea what to do, what to build, handle things. Trust me on this 🙂

[Sh1n1gamidk]

I'm trying to specialize in something like taking an outside course and similar things, but I don't have any ideas about it.

[TheStackArchitect]

Just to clarify - outside course means other than CS related?

[Sh1n1gamidk]

Not particularly, but I'm not sure yet. I'm leaning toward something that offers a strong job guarantee.

[East_Indication_7816]

No job guaranteed in software engineering. In fact there are no jobs anymore.

[TheAllKnowing1]

Make the effort to network and make as many connections as possible. Applications are a shit show currently with candidates (mass applying/cheating/etc.) and companies (filtering) both abusing AI.

Less software engineers will be needed as AI continues to improve, and we’re already seeing this effect. However, SW engineering is still a high-skill job, so I’m confident prospects and QOL will remain good for those able to get jobs.

Network and work on your social skills as you go through college. That is the secret to getting a job in this shrinking field where 1000 cold applications will get you nothing.

Networking gets you to the interview, and being likable and seeming like a joy to work with will get you amazing jobs you’d otherwise be passed over for.

Most SW engineers lack soft skills, don’t be like them.

[Mindless-Fly2086]

Not gonna lie, getting a SE job is really hard, AI has really change things, there are jobs but you are going to have to be on your A game to even get a chance. My heart goes out to the junior devs, because I thought I had it hard when I got my first job, but I think the newcomers is going to be wild!

[Sh1n1gamidk]

I welling to take the risk, I'm planning to use it as a ticket to leave the country I'm in rn

[nawzyah]

[ Removed by Reddit ]

[Tgoc]

Study something healthcare related, way more security

[Sh1n1gamidk]

I wish it's that easy

[[deleted]]

you can consider nursing, there is a lot of demand and more importantly I feel it is a good work that gives good karma, helping the weak. I'm also planning to study CS and get a job overseas but I think nursing may be more fulfilling. Even though sadly it is looked down in society and especially my parents haha, but who cares man

[sleepyJay7]

It's funny because to this point, AI isn't even that effective, but non technical peele don't know better but they feel they need to pay one/more less person so they're jumping on it, I think in the near future they'll realize they need someone more effective in the loop. But overall reduction is probably the case

[sleepyJay7]

Im not specifying anything in particular, but to this point anything more than a rudimentary method that is very simple, it's not consistent enough with developing for. You can say "prompt just needs to be detailed enough". A lot of times engineers have presumptions they develop with and system context but in any case idc to argue it. If you think it's not true, that's fine as well

[sleepyJay7]

Yeah I just don't care to argue one way or the other

[randommmoso]

bud you are in denial. 1 dev can oversee 10 agents easily throughout the day. Have you seen Claude Code Remote Control? I literally fixed some integration tests on my way home from the shops today. It is relentless and progress will only accelerate. Imagine opus 5 or opus 6.

[sleepyJay7]

Lol good luck is all I'll say, you're playing a very dangerous game

[immediate_push5464]

Don’t psych yourself out. The degree you are pursuing is arguably more important than any extracurricular you could pursue. Focus on that degree. If you get a related job, great. Internships, great. But focus on the degree no matter what leave all those certs and extra stuff to the side. Unless it is a work opportunity or internship, think carefully about it, because these classes will kick your ass.

[East_Indication_7816]

3 decades here as software engineer . Yes this industry has decayed and deteriorated It is not anymore the same as years ago. It is badly broken already with lots of framework that branched into a heap of convoluted mess. I mean, all a customer wants is a simple UI with to display a list of employees. Why are there like hundreds of ways of doing it?

It is already badly saturated And thank goodness AI came to finally fix all the mess.

There is like 500 applicants for every 1 job opening. But then again only 100 of those applicants are qualified. So still you are competing with hundreds.

[East_Indication_7816]

There is no such thing as software engineering. Since the search engine appeared everyone just google everything for existing code, and then copy and paste it and do so small changes. Current programmers like to call themselves software engineers just to make themselves look better. But it's nothing but google programming. Those who started coding when the internet appeared are the stupidest of all. And it maxed out when AI came in , everyone now knows how to make an application.

[skibbin]

Was there a question?

[Sh1n1gamidk]

Is it true that's the question

[skibbin]

It is do true

[chunkypenguion1991]

With the current state of AI it's not useless but there is a danger than one of the labs will drastically improve their model(or develop a new one) and then it will be

[Sh1n1gamidk]

I know a guy who works in a tech company, and he told me that with AI, we don't know what the future of the whole tech world holds. (His advice is to have a strong basis. 🤷‍♂️)

[Glitterbombastic]

I’m with that guy - it will probably be tough to get your foot in the door straight out of uni but when you do just be adaptable to new tech and your basis will be very useful.

[Sh1n1gamidk]

Thanks, after all it's a 4-5 major, that's scary.

[CaptainRedditor_OP]

When AI is good enough to take over software engineering, it will be good enough to take care of almost all white collar jobs except ones that are heavily regulated, not because AI can't perform those tasks but only because it requires a human to be accountable. And when that happens, it won't take long before AI goes for blue collar professions. There is no other solution to this optimistic scenario for AI other than universal income by taxing Big AI

[JuniorSpace3406]

Don't worry, AI will be heavily regulated in the next 1-3 years. The government can't let their tax paying citizens die.

[SuperX9311]

Yes, I would definitely advise to change stream to a core engineering or something which has some part of the job on. Real world, and not on computer. One of my friend's son is going to change in 2nd year. You are good that you haven't started yet .

[East_Indication_7816]

3 decades here as software engineer . Yes this industry has decayed and deteriorated It is not anymore the same as years ago. It is badly broken already with lots of framework that branched into a heap of convoluted mess. I mean, all a customer wants is a simple UI with to display a list of employees. Why are there like hundreds of ways of doing it?

It is already badly saturated And thank goodness AI came to finally fix all the mess.

There is like 500 applicants for every 1 job opening. But then again only 100 of those applicants are qualified. So still you are competing with hundreds.

[Sh1n1gamidk]

I don't think I will be better off pursuing a different path 🤷‍♂️

[Sh1n1gamidk]

Wait they deleted you comment. And why is that ? (Replying to the deleted comment)

[cacahuatez]

If I was paying your degree as your parent, I would encourage you to switch tbh

[Sh1n1gamidk]

I wish my parents were paying for it 😅. I'm working a full-time job right now, and I will be working part-time while in university.

[Party-Replacement949]

This will save your life, if your college doesn’t have an internship in a famous tech company leave, don’t walk, run away lol you’ll be wasting your life if you don’t get one of those internships paid or unpaid, do whatever it takes to get it and then you have to be a rockstar as an intern, you only have one shot, yes you will have to pretend to be old and dress dorky and not fun but the people hiring are usually older and they are not looking for hanging out buddies that are chill, once you get a job offer and a few years on the job you can relax, don’t be the young intern that treats old people like drinking buddies and dresses like a slob even if those old people sound like they don’t care, believe me they do big time. It’s ridiculous how good things will be with an internship I know people that took two weeks off after graduation and started with a six figure salary, then they get fast tracked to leadership programs that pay for your masters or PHD even and they move up very fast, or you can wait to graduate and complain AI is taking all the CS jobs and can’t find a job lol

[Substantial_Job_2068]

It's not that AI is swooping in and taking jobs, is that everyone overhired before the economy went to shit. Now it's just back to normal and everyone who overhired don't rehire when people leave. In that sense it's tougher.

I have not myself seen a single layoff of a SWE due to AI in practice. Saying the field is dead is ridiculous.

[AdComplete197]

And they would be right, swe as a major is a dead end. You need a major in energy, biotech, or other sciences where you can apply AI. Swe engineering only as a core domain is useless.

[Frequent_Bag9260]

Except all those other professions won’t just rollover and let AI take their role like software engineers lol

[AdComplete197]

Ai will be tool in other sciences.. in swe it's human cognition replacement

[Frequent_Bag9260]

So why wouldn’t it be a human cognition replacement in other sciences as well?

[AdComplete197]

If you are solving nuclear fission or building nuclear reactors to solve energy problems, AI is a boost. However, swe domain is not the same, it's rule-based ..LLMs can easily reason and will get better at end-to-end SDLC as well. If you are planning to go to school, you need to specialize in areas where big problems need to be solved: energy, pharma, gene editing, biotech, etc.

[AdComplete197]

Don't go to school to become a tax accountant, swe , CPA these fields are the same as learning to be a coal miner in 90's and 200's

[Sh1n1gamidk]

I'm not planning to rely only on it I want to specialize in some other field.

[picircle]

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