I was discussing this with my dad earlier today. Neither he nor I have a degree. He started a course in the 70s that he never finished, and I didn’t apply to university, for numerous reasons, but I was application age when fees were tripled to £9k, and the loan repayment structuring made it apparent that 80% of these degrees weren’t worth the money.
My current role title is Software Engineer, but I don’t go by it outside work very often because Engineer means something outside the technobubble. I have a friend with two degrees in aeronautical engineering, and he clenches every time he hears someone refer to me as an engineer. I agree with him too, but earning that title should be about more than a degree, engineers in industry almost always have to work under a supervising engineer for a significant period of time before acceding to the title themselves.
My current role title is Software Engineer, but I don’t go by it outside work very often because Engineer means something outside the technobubble. I have a friend with two degrees in aeronautical engineering, and he clenches every time he hears someone refer to me as an engineer. I agree with him too, but earning that title should be about more than a degree, engineers in industry almost always have to work under a supervising engineer for a significant period of time before acceding to the title themselves.