Software Engineering -- Systems or Applications

What does it mean to be a software engineer?

Over the past 20 years I have supported operations in large organizations to include software, hardware, and network design, development, implantation, and support. I have enjoyed my career over the years and my career progressed from doing the work to leading the teams that provide the support and services to advance the business mission.

Being a Systems Engineer I use my skills as a software engineer to understand the big picture and think above individual applications to the systems those applications exist within. Becoming a Software Engineer allows a software developer to take one of two paths or find a way to merge them into a hybrid engineering role. I believe I fit into the hybrid role myself.

Often, I find myself working on side projects for smaller organizations that help them address problems they are trying to solve. Especially if they don’t have the funds to build a full system to support a full project up front.

“As a software engineer, you have both flexibility and mobility to create the career experience that is most appealing to you (Coursera Staff, November 2023).” This statement from the Coursera site perfectly fit my career path. The one thing I have learned over the years is that as a leader of technical teams understanding the difference between Systems Engineers and Application Engineers is important. When I have a new project come up requiring a complex set of applications intercommunicating either on premises or cloud based demands a Systems Engineer. The System Engineer is expected to know the components that must come together and will need to work with either a single or a team of Application Engineers.

Once the Systems and Application Engineers complete their planning and designing the applications and internal/external communications required they present their ideas to me. I then review the presentation package and decide whether the plan designed is correct or needs tweaking.

In 2021 I put together a team to work together helping organizations as a think tank to work their problems and find solutions to meet their need. I use this same Software Engineering process with my own team as we assess the issues our clients are trying to address.

The key to engineering is not to start with a technology but to first understand the problem. Once the real problem is understood then research technology options that will provide the best solution. Software Engineers have the skills to quickly learn new platforms and apply them to build out complex systems as needed.

“It’s hard to think of an industry that does not benefit from software development. The developer community is involved in everything from artificial intelligence to clinical drug development to renewable energy. Manufacturing, services, consumer products, business systems, farming, travel, space, science and many other industries all involve software development (Ingram, 2023).” Software Engineering is in high demand and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.