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Bye Bye Coding: How I Pivoted My Role and Switched My Career from Software Development
It’s clear that many in the software industry are feeling anxious, from the rise of AI to the spread of no-code and low-code platforms that are becoming more common. These tools have deeply penetrated the market, it’s just that the developer community doesn’t talk much about them.
However, even if these tools are widely used, someone still has to write their code. So, it’s possible that in the future, there will be fewer software development jobs, and the ones that remain will involve more automation.
My view is based on my experience. I was a software engineer two years ago but couldn’t get promoted. Then, a manager in our department suggested I stop coding and use a no-code tool to create a platform for user onboarding (I won’t mention the brand because I don’t want to advertise for them). After diving into user analytics, I switched roles within the company and got three raises and two promotions. I’m now learning about UX and data science for my job, trying to merge these two fields. I’ve also realized that I wasn’t very interested in software development.
I don’t think the role of “software engineer” will disappear, but positions for engineers who are less skilled or mediocre, like I was, will vanish. In my case, I wasn’t replaced; my transition was due to market demand. Low code/no-code tools just speed up this process.
