Software Engineering Needs Alternative Thinkers (That Means You)

At first glance, software engineering doesn’t look all that exciting. 

Sitting in front of a computer all day? Typing out long strings of seemingly repetitive code? Building mundane technology? No thanks, you’re probably thinking.

But that’s way too narrow a view of the job. That time spent in front of a computer is actually incredibly mentally stimulating — not to mention, highly collaborative. Those lines of code require significant creativity to build. That “mundane” technology may actually make someone’s life (or many people’s lives) happier, healthier, more productive, or just better.

Sure, some jobs are really that boring. But software engineering certainly doesn’t have to be! Here’s why it may be the best career option for innovative, alternative thinkers and doers like yourself.

What is software engineering, anyway?

Software engineers_{The Software Engineer Career Path — and the Skills You Need} are the masterminds behind software and some hardware. Their roles enable companies of all shapes and sizes — banks, ecommerce platforms, even small businesses — to create, utilize, and sell apps and web tools that function at the highest level. Every application you’ve ever used, from Excel to TikTok to an AI chatbot, was made with the help of a software engineer, and we’ve only just scratched the surface of what’s possible in software development.

There are machine learning engineers, cloud engineers, and quality assurance engineers who focus on the cleanliness of code.

Regardless of your specialty, software engineering generally involves writing and testing code — the building blocks of tech — using one or several tools and programming languages. This is by no means solo work: While many engineers enjoy the autonomy this job provides, the most successful ones also consistently partner with other engineers, product managers, UX/UI designers, and more in the quest to develop a stellar product. For this reason, soft skills_{The Soft Skills Software Engineers Need and Why} such as teamwork, time management, and self-motivation are just as key as the hard stuff.

Zooming in: These tasks need unconventional approaches

Software development often starts with a problem: a broken app, a customer need, an inefficient service. As a software engineer, you’re usually not given solutions to these problems — if you are, it’s still your job to pick the most effective one and execute on it in a way that’s cost efficient and guarantees long-term success.

All this to say, you need to be able to think outside the box. And not just about the big picture, but each little detail that makes up the tech. How should the homepage look to maximize usage and avoid confusion? What buttons should lead where, and why will that be the most useful option for clients? What back-end will best support the size and scope of our audience while also ensuring their personal information remains safe and encrypted?

Answering these questions and more requires a software engineer that’s as agile and inventive as they are able to write code — especially since the problem is a moving target, and each stage of the development process comes with its own challenges and opportunities to pivot. Just as important is creative collaboration, where a software engineer is open and capable of leveraging outside resources and talent to achieve the desired outcome.

One recent qualitative study by two Google staffers and a computer science professor at ​​Carnegie Mellon University backs up this assertion that creativity is a necessary pillar of software development. In their report, the authors pinpointed three drivers of this: collaboration and brainstorming, exploration, and clever reuse of existing code.

Going against the crowd makes for better software

Unconventional thinking doesn’t just enable software engineers to do the job fast, confidently, and well. Perhaps the greatest benefit of being a strong critical thinker — and someone who isn’t afraid to advocate for their ideas — is that it leads to better software, period. And better software, well, that could mean a better world for everyone_{Tech Jobs For Good: Why Software Engineering Matters}.

We can’t have innovation when everyone is keeping up the status quo and not questioning how things have always been done. We also can’t grow and improve if we don’t take risks and pursue new pathways.

Think about it: If you’re working on a piece of software that functions fine, if not inefficiently, your refusal to iterate on it could at best make for a poor customer experience and at worst lead to backlash and fewer sales. If you build tech without taking into consideration all its flaws or potential issues — in other words, critical thinking isn’t even involved in the process — you could release a product that’s broken or even damaging to consumers.

How this played out for one of our grads

TripleTen graduate Luke Schmidt_{Forging His Own Path to Tech: Luke Schmidt’s TripleTen Story} is the perfect example of an alternative thinker who discovered his strengths and a creative outlet in software engineering.

It started with some tinkering in his spare time. Using Linux and Python, he built a simple script to control an LED light strip. This may not seem all that impressive, but it was a pivotal moment for Schmidt.

I hadn’t really experienced that before: where I had done something from a work-related standpoint and had actually been excited about the process and the completion of it. And I think it was at that point where I said, ‘Okay, I’m going to give this a try. Maybe this is for me. Luke Schmidt, TripleTen graduate

A bootcamp made the most sense for him because of the flexibility and deep, hands-on knowledge it could provide. But TripleTen specifically stood out for its strong reputation and accessible network of tech experts. “The tutors follow up, message, and check in with people, and are willing to be flexible with scheduling. There’s just so many positive things about this setup that really made the experience more valuable,” Schmidt added.

It took Schmidt little time after finishing the program to land a job as a front-end and quality assurance engineer at a fintech company, which he said has been an incredibly rewarding experience.

“The things that you can build as a web developer can positively affect thousands or potentially even millions of people,” he said. “There aren’t many industries where you can do that.”

See if software engineering is right for you

Students of our Software Engineering Bootcamp earn on average $29,000 more than they were making before they learned to code, and 89% find a job within six months of completing the program.

But if you’re not immediately ready to jump in — how about dipping your toes? Our career quiz takes just two minutes to fill in, and it will give you a comprehensive view of how your skills and interests align with a role in tech — and trust us, just about any field, be it teaching_{Lessons Learned: A Teacher's Shift to Software Engineering} or accounting_{How to Know if You Should Make a Career Change From Accounting}, comes with relevant transferable skills to software engineering. All you have to do is take that first step!