Is the term engineer being over used in job titles these days?

Question

I just seem to notice more and more job titles with the word engineer in them when I cannot find any engineering aspects to the job role at all.

For example, I have a friend who used to a Technical Support Consultant, but is now a 'Intel Support Engineer', although he tells me he does the same job.

What you you think?

Perhaps someone here with a engineering job title but who does no engineering work could comment too?

Answer 1

This practice has been illegal in the state of Texas for years. Texas was reacting to people calling themselves "domestic engineers" and "sanitation engineers." The law states that you can not call yourself an engineer unless you have passed the P.E. (The Professional Engineers exam.)

This has taken things to the opposite ridiculous extreme, as the P.E. is for civil engineers. An Electrical Engineer, or a Software Engineer, or a Chemical Engineer, who are real engineers, could not pass it.

This leads to hilarious or incomprehensible job titles for Software Engineers in Texas. It is illegal to put your real job title on your business card, so you have to make something up.

Answer 2

yes i noticed it here wayyy too overused and used without a the real meaning.... engineers are people who are proffesionals at a certain field, people who are capable to invent new things... like a masters degree......In Europe Engineers are qualified people with a masters degree of a certain field of their studies.... they are proffesionals... not some mechanics like most call themselves engineers...... I think the reason why they unproperly this term is to make their occupation sound 'fancy' even though they are not doing anything different in their job buy calling themselves engineers

Answer 3

I work in a hotel. I'm in the process of printing new business cards to say front desk engineer. What a great idea!

Answer 4

well, I am an answer engineer and I would have to say the term is not overused