The future may be 'frustrating' for engineers who want a 'pure' software career, AWS exec says

• AWS VP Marc Brooker said the future of software engineering may be "frustrating" to some professionals.
• Brooker thinks customer interactions will become a non-negotiable for engineers.
• Careers where engineers "start typing and don't stop for eight hours" may taper off, he said.

The days of junior software engineers hunkering down at their desks and writing code for hours on end in solitude could be ending.

Marc Brooker, a VP and Distinguished Engineer of agentic AI at Amazon Web Services, said front-facing and opportunities to interact with customers could become more common for junior software engineers in an interview on The Peterman Pod released Monday.

Some engineers might not be jazzed at such a future, he added.

"I think that's going to be super exciting for one set of folks and a little bit frustrating for people who have come in looking for a pure software development career," Brooker said. "Looking for a career where they sit down, open their IDE, start typing, and don't stop for eight hours."

Brooker said the strictly behind-the-scenes approach is "going to be harder and harder to build a career around."

"Now, the other mode of, 'Oh, I'm excited to go off and learn from my customers about what they're building and what they need,' I think that's going to be ever more highly valuable," he said.

However, Brooker said there's still room for those with hyper-technical skills because "the ability to ask the right questions is also much more valuable than it has ever been."

One of the most customer facing roles that exist today in software development is that of the forward deployed engineer, or software engineers who embed within a customer's workforce to help better utilize a company's software. The role has been described as "the hottest job in AI" by some.

Junior software engineers and other young professionals are navigating a tricky job market. Although hiring surged during the COVID-19 pandemic amid remote work, many companies subsequently slashed staff and cited over-expansion. Then AI became widely accessible, leading some companies to conduct AI-related layoffs.

Despite the previous uncertainty, there are signs that tech jobs are bouncing back this year. Companies like LinkedIn, IBM, and Cognizant said they plan to expand entry-level hiring. Major CEOs like Reddit's Steve Huffman have also praised new college graduates for being "AI native," adding that it sets them apart from their peers.

During the same interview, Brooker said junior software engineers need to find "problems that matter."

"That requires an understanding of customers. It requires an understanding of the business. It requires an understanding of economics and of systems," he said.