points by codelikeawolf a year ago

I'm with you on this one. I really don't care what my title is or what I'm referred to as long as the check clears. When people ask what I do, I say I'm a "software engineer" because I spent several years getting a BS in mechanical engineering, I've worked in several non-software jobs with "engineer" in the title, and the work is very similar. One could argue that only licensed engineers can actually call themselves "engineers", but that's not the way it works in America.

From what I understand, the work of a licensed engineer is not much different from that of unlicensed engineers, it's mostly a liability and compliance thing. That's not a dig at licensed engineers, by the way. Being legally liable for your engineering work translates to requiring more rigor and attention to detail than it would when you're not on the hook for failures. One of my professors in college was a licensed engineer. He said it was a colossal PITA to maintain his license, so he let it lapse.