Yup, in the UK it bugs me when I keep meeting people who introduce themselves as an 'engineer'. When I ask them if they do mechanical or civil engineering, then I usually get to say "ah, so you're a programmer, just like me".
One thing I did sometimes like about being in Austria is the obsession with academic titles they have there... if somebody is a qualified engineer, they invariably use "Ing" as a title in place of "Mr" or "Ms"; people with two doctorates (not uncommon) really do call themselves Dr Dr So-and-so.
Austrian here. "Ing" (Ingenieur, so basically Engineer) is a protected title (not an academic one, though) but to be honest, it does not signal status or qualification to me. The actual academic titles are worth more.
Still doesn’t really mean anything. Due to a loophole in major assignment I can legally call myself Ing., but what I’ve really studied is more or less computer science.
What is qualified in Austria? In the USA, in most states, you must be licensed to have engineering in your business name. Your name is usually suffixed with PE.
Yes. I don’t think there is even a PE licensing path for software, so even with a CS degree you could never become a licensed engineer. You have to work under a PE for 5 years, then take the PE exam, then CE credits.
I have an MSEE, but can’t put engineer in my title. Though Ing. sounds kind of cool.
It bothers me to no end when I hear programmers here in Ontario call themselves engineers when they neither graduated from an engineering program nor completed their PEO exam. It's very much illegal, and the PEO _will_ go after companies that allow their employees to title themselves as engineers.
One thing I did sometimes like about being in Austria is the obsession with academic titles they have there... if somebody is a qualified engineer, they invariably use "Ing" as a title in place of "Mr" or "Ms"; people with two doctorates (not uncommon) really do call themselves Dr Dr So-and-so.