1) The document discusses whether software engineers can be considered professionals by examining the traditional definitions of a profession, which include belonging to a professional culture, having apprenticeships and lifelong careers, and following a code of conduct. 2) It reviews software engineering against these criteria and finds it lacking in some areas such as not having a strong professional culture or union. 3) The document also questions whether professionalism necessarily leads to competence, success, or growth in the field, providing some examples and arguments on both sides of this issue. It concludes that while ethics are important, professional status may not be critical for software engineering currently.

1. © Instil Software 2020
Are Software Engineers
Professionals?
Garth Gilmour
(@GarthGilmour)

2. @GarthGilmour / garth.gilmour@instil.co

3. – What is a profession?
– Are we professionals?
– Does it matter?
The Agenda
Three Questions to Answer

4. 1.
What is a professional?

5. I Don’t Mean Your Job
Let’s use the term correctly

6. You Know What The Term Means
Even if you’re not sure how to define it

7. A Job Is Not A Profession
No matter how interesting it might be...

8. We Don’t Mean Engineering
Although this is a fascinating question...
HT James Bunch
@JBunch77

9. – Your culture tells you so...
What is a Professional?
Some Suggestions

11. “I'm maintaining my amateur status
so I can waitress in the Olympics.”

12. – Your culture tells you so...
– You can keep the job for life
What is a Professional?
Some Suggestions

14. – Your culture tells you so...
– You can keep the job for life
– Period of apprenticeship
What is a Professional?
Some Suggestions

15. Pupillage
Residency

16. – Your culture tells you so...
– You can keep the job for life
– Period of apprenticeship
– Belong to a guild / union
What is a Professional?
Some Suggestions

18. – Your culture tells you so...
– You can keep the job for life
– Period of apprenticeship
– Belong to a guild / union
– Follow a code of conduct
What is a Professional?
Some Suggestions

20. 2.
Are Software Engineers
Professionals?

21. – Your culture tells you so...
– You can keep the job for life
– Period of apprenticeship
– Belong to a guild / union
– Follow a code of conduct
Are Software Engineers Professionals?
Let’s review the list...

23. Sub-Culture !== Profession

24. – Your culture tells you so...
– You can keep the job for life
– Period of apprenticeship
– Belong to a guild / union
– Follow a code of conduct
Are Software Engineers Professionals?
Let’s review the list...

26. – Your culture tells you so...
– You can keep the job for life
– Period of apprenticeship
– Belong to a guild / union
– Follow a code of conduct
Are Software Engineers Professionals?
Let’s review the list...

29. – Your culture tells you so...
– You can keep the job for life
– Period of apprenticeship
– Belong to a guild / union
– Follow a code of conduct
Are Software Engineers Professionals?
Let’s review the list...

31. – Your culture tells you so...
– You can keep the job for life
– Period of apprenticeship
– Belong to a guild / union
– Follow a code of conduct
Are Software Engineers Professionals?
Let’s review the list...

33. – Your culture tells you so...
– You can keep the job for life
– Period of apprenticeship
– Belong to a guild / union
– Follow a code of conduct
Are Software Engineers Professionals?
Let’s review the list...

34. 3.
Does it Matter?

35. – Is professionalism good?
– Does it equal competence?
– Does it bring success?
– Does it encourage growth?
Does It Matter?
Some Considerations

36. 3a.
Is professionalism good?

37. Is Professionalism Good?
Maybe Yes. Maybe No...

41. 3b.
Does Professionalism Equal
Competence?

42. Does Professionalism Equal Competence?
Maybe yes...

43. Does Professionalism Equal Competence?
Maybe no...

45. 3c.
Does Professionalism Bring
Success?

46. Does Professionalism Bring Success?
Maybe no...

47. Does Professionalism Bring Success?
Maybe no...

48. Does Professionalism Bring Success?
Maybe no...

49. Does Professionalism Bring Success?
Maybe no...

50. Credit: The Scottish Sun

51. 3d.
Does Professionalism
Encourage Growth?

52. Does Professionalism Encourage Growth?
Maybe no...

53. Does Professionalism Encourage Growth?
Maybe no...
“We run a civilized, aristocratic government
machine tempered by occasional general
elections. Since 1832 we have been gradually
excluding the voter from government. Now we’ve
got them to a point where they just vote once
every five years for which bunch of buffoons will
try to interfere with OUR policies.”

54. Does Professionalism Encourage Growth?
Maybe no...

55. Does Professionalism Encourage Growth?
Maybe no...

56. Does Professionalism Encourage Growth?
Maybe no...

57. Does Professionalism Encourage Growth?
Maybe no...
‘Well, you have to remember,’ Axar recalls, ‘that we were
amateurs in this field. Walter was a geologist
specializing in paleomagnetism, Luis was a physicist
and I was a nuclear chemist. And now here we were
telling palaeontologists that we had solved a problem
that had eluded them for over a century. It’s not terribly
surprising that they didn’t embrace it immediately’. As
Luis Alvarex joked: ‘We were caught practicing geology
without a license.’
A Short History Of Nearly Everything: Bill Bryson

58. Does Professionalism Encourage Growth?
Maybe no...
“The thing that struck me is
one guy said exasperated, a
very famous neurobiologist said
‘Look, in my discipline it’s OK
to be interested in
consciousness. But get tenure
first. Get tenure first.’”

59. Does Professionalism Encourage Growth?
Maybe no...

60. Does Professionalism Encourage Growth?
Maybe no...

61. Does Professionalism Encourage Growth?
Maybe no...

62. Some Conclusions...

65. – The best developers I know are self taught
– Especially the ones with computer science degrees 
– We benefit from the perspectives of:
– Engineers and physicists
– Linguists and psychologists
– Musicians and economists
– Etc...
Alloys Are Stronger
We Benefit From Academic Diversity

66. Maybe it’s a Question of Time
Our hype curve hasn’t flattened out yet...

67. Maybe it’s a Question of Time
We’re in the ‘madly productive’ stage

68. Ethics Matter
But today they matter for everyone...

69. Ethics Matter
But today they matter for everyone...

70. I’m not a professional and I’m OK...
(I work at night and I sleep all day)