Career Advice: Is it possible for Chemical Engineer to enter Software?

Question

I'm a Chemical Engineer and worked for IBM about 8 years ago, wrote automation code, and fair amount of SQL and SAS data analysis. Since then I've done paid consulting work for a few years developing a prototype for an RF consumer electronic device(my IBM colleagues pulled me in on this one). I used C/x86 SSE assembly, signal processing, and wrote a Windows Direct Show Filter. Started - but never finished my masters in electrical engineering.

I would like to make a switch into software but don't know what my prospects would be. I do have the 4 year degree summa cum laude Chemical Engineering BS just not in CS. I wouldn't mind doing java development (and I did work with java at IBM and I was hoping I could do it at a company that's relatively stable) or even embedded systems.

I think some will say "find a job that can marry the two disciplines." Frankly, I could live w/o using my ChE ever again(not too many jobs). I've always enjoyed coding. Just curious how feasible software developer job would be.

Monty

Answer 1

Anything's possible, with enough effort. You'll just have to find good ways to prove your competency in software development. For example, I know a great programmer who stays very busy with development consulting jobs, even though his degree is in Literature - not even a BS. That being said, he's done a lot of open source development, and a is an active community member, so it's easy for him to "prove" that he is qualified.