Software Engineers and Developers

Software engineer and developer are practically interchangeable titles in the IT industry. In some companies, they give the title of engineer to people who actually have the duties of software developers. Oftentimes it is just for the prestige that comes with the title. When the title matches the duties of a software engineer, there are some key points that distinguish software engineers from software developers. They are as follows:

Education

Engineers and developers will have a similar foundational education. Oftentimes they will both earn a degree in computer science and take similar courses such as software programming, computer science, and software engineering. Both learn the same kinds of programming/scripting languages such as Java, C++, PHP, MySQL. Developers and engineers will share their lingo, and just by looking at interactions alone, will seem indistinguishable from one another.

The difference lies in the extent of their education. While software developers do not always require a college degree, software engineers require at least a bachelor’s degree and must learn about engineering processes and how to apply them to software development projects. Software developers focus almost exclusively on learning coding, which is only one part of the software development cycle.

Job Responsibilities

All software engineers are involved in developing software, but unlike developers, they apply engineering principles to software development. Past the coding stage, there is requirement analysis and software process. Engineering is defined as “the branch of science and technology of utilizing physical laws and resources for the design and building of machines, engines, and structures.” This process is methodical and systematic.

In other words, software developers qualify while software engineers quantify.

Qualify vs. Quantify

Qualifying means that things will not be planned out to the last detail. Oftentimes developers will miss deadlines, go over-budget, and some will be reckless enough to risk huge financial losses. There is a lot of flexibility in software development.

When it comes to quantifying, the parameters and objectives of a given project are analyzed so that the right corrections are executed so that a company can reduce its risks and have a product delivered on time, on budget, and with the least amount of losses.

At ITStaff, we take away all the complications. We are a dedicated systems development lifecycle staffing service. We have an extensive vetting process. We can deliver on what we promise. We provide the best, most qualified developers that can facilitate every aspect of your software development project.