Is a software engineering degree worth it? This is a common question people often ask. They state there are many people in this field that have never gone to college and some individuals believe that after three years of experience you have the same opportunities in this industry without a degree. This has been a controversial subject and frequently because people interchange software engineers and software developers.
Software engineers are professionals that apply software engineering to develop, design and maintain computer software. Software developers are the creators of programs who are often responsible for the entire development process. It takes four years and 120 credit hours to earn a degree in software engineering. There are some online degree programs that require between 116 and 126 credit hours to earn this degree. This profession spreads over many different disciplines and is a very diverse field. It can be a rewarding career for some but it is not for everyone.
In this post, we will explore some disadvantages and advantages of becoming an engineer and help you determine if a software engineering degree is worth it or not.
- Constant Demand To Refresh Skills
You will be in constant demand to refresh your skills as a software engineer. New technologies are rising each day and you must be able to keep up in order to have a successful career. This is a field where you are required to have lifelong learning.
- Work Schedule
You cannot count on working a schedule that consists of 40 hours on Monday through Friday. You will be required to consistently work nontraditional business hours and overtime including nights, holidays and weekends.
- Overwhelming Amount Of Projects
A software engineer is often required to juggle an overwhelming amount of projects at the same time. Many of these projects will have strict deadlines and require a vast amount of time. You may have a lot of work to do at home and feel like you are in school again.
- Communication With Non-Technical People
Many software engineers tend to speak in computer language and are easily frustrated during conversations with non-technical people. One thing you should think about before earning a degree in software engineering is whether or not you have the ability to translate technical information into layman’s terms for people without computer or technical knowledge.
- Round Tummy
Software engineers often spend a lot of time sitting in front of a computer which does not allow for a lot of movement or exercise. Several people in this profession end up with nice round tummies because they do not get enough exercise. It is a good idea to be prepared and have a plan of action in order to avoid gaining a lot of weight after you obtain your degree in software engineering.
- Boring Projects
Hopefully you’ll be fortunate enough to be assigned projects that hold your interest however, most software engineers are stuck with boring projects that are very time consuming. If you’re somewhat of a nerd or a really laid-back person then perhaps this won’t bother you too much. Most people need their work to be intriguing in order to stay motivated.
Here Are the Advantages
- 6-figure Rate of pay
Most software engineers will make six figures and the medium pay in 2020 was $110,140. That same year even the lowest paid 25% made $84,020. The best paid 25% made $140,470. Across the United states salaries for software engineers increased by 7% from 2020 which is approximately $10,000. Earning a degree in software engineering will afford you the opportunity to live a nice comfortable life especially if you enjoy the work that you do for this great salary.
- Alternative Degree Options
A lot of people that want to attend college need to enter into the job market and begin earning a living. They cannot afford to pay for college or be on a scholarship without having an income. Fortunately, one great thing about software engineering is they offer alternative ways to earn a degree. Some schools have a project-based degree method that lets you enter the job market and use practical application as opposed to book knowledge. Software engineering is an industry that has a lot of people who are self-taught.
- Extremely Diverse
Earning this type of degree will allow you to enter the workforce and obtain a variety of extremely diverse positions. The majority of software engineers work with computer applications and computer systems however, your options are wide open if you have a natural talent or increase your skills. You may manage people working on projects, create applications for smart phones or companies like Google and Facebook.
- High Impact Field For Communicating
The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on all of our lives especially for being able to have face to face visits with our loved ones. Software engineering played a great part in helping us adjust to the communication problems with not being able to see and hold the people that are the most important to us. The usage of visual apps increased significantly because we were able to use various tools to watch babies grow, visit with families we could not travel to see as well as conduct virtual meetings which allowed people to continue working during the pandemic. Not only that, but we were also able to pay bills, order various items and have them dropped off at our doorstep such as groceries, restaurant food and other essential items. Being able to communicate and place orders on these apps developed by software engineers literally saved some people’s lives!
- Utilize Your Creativity Skills
Earning a degree as a software engineer is great for people that are problem solvers and creative. For example, someone comes to you and they have a problem keeping up with how much they are spending in their household. You can use your creative skills to develop an application that will solve their problems. Some employers will bring an issue to you as a software engineer and it will be your job to produce a creative solution to fix the issue.
- Advancement Opportunities
If you earn a degree as a software engineer you will not be stagnant in your career unless of course you are happy doing the same job for many years and getting little or no raise. You have the opportunity to become a senior software engineer or go into management. This is an industry with unlimited choices and broad roles therefore, the opportunity for advancement is also unlimited.
- Job Security
A software engineer will always have a high level of job security as your skills are transferable within a company, within the country and worldwide computer language is the same everywhere. We live in a world of technology that is continuing to become more technical each day with robotics and artificial intelligence. Even with the changing world, software engineers will be needed way beyond what we can think of.
Thank you for reading to the end. We welcome your comments.
