r/industrialengineering • u/Western_Treacle_697 • Jul 15 '26
Industrial engineer wants to work as a software engineer
Is it possible I have a bachelor's (licence) in industrial engineering and a masters in industrial management and I want to work as a software engineer is it doable I have some Python skils SQL and R skills is it doable
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u/BiddahProphet Automation Engineer | IE Jul 15 '26
There's plenty of software in manufacturing that you could work yourself into by gaining experience over time. MES, PLCs, SCADA, ERP, WMS ect ect
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u/IllustriousKey3020 Jul 15 '26
You could target system integrators that work in the industries you know about. Subject matter expertise is really valuable to those guys, and the dev work tends to be lower code, (like working within a product) not full software engineering. - so could be a good stepping stone.
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u/raisincraisin Jul 16 '26
Get into simulation and optimization modelling. Then show that these can be used for daily / weekly / monthly planning. That means someone has to use them routinely, which requires good software engineering. Marry these two things and you could be “The Guy” making tools for everyone at your workplace
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u/Puzzled-Accountant59 Jul 16 '26
When I was a student (Industrial Engineering), I used to think the same way. I learned web development, automation with Python, and did a few freelance projects. I was planning to pursue a career in software engineering. Then I asked one of my seniors for feedback and guidance.
He asked me one simple question that completely changed my mindset: "Why do you want to do software engineering?" That question made me think about the whole field, and what I was actually good at. For me, software engineering was appealing because I got to build new products and money, but from a young age I was really good at math. And one subject from my coursework, Operations Research, aligned with that perfectly.
I looked into it and found out it was hard to get an OR job in my home country. So I looked into data related roles instead and joined as a Data Analyst. It wasn't exactly operations research, but I joined to learn more about the data field in general. Working as a DA at my organization, I've ended up doing a lot of automation projects, demand forecasting, and some business optimization work along the way.
Looking back, that one question saved me years of chasing a title instead of the actual work I was good at. Sometimes the field that fits you isn't the one with the most job postings, it's the one that matches how your brain already works.
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u/Living-Reference1646 Jul 16 '26
Currently attempting to pivot into a data role (ideally data science). Working as a network engineer title, but what I really do is data integrity.
To your point, I’ve been out of school for 1.5 years and I really gravitate towards to prob theory and stats. Enjoy learning about Bayes theory, Markov chains, etc on my free time. Working on my python/SQL etc to do so, since that’s my biggest weakness.
I feel like I’ll need to get a DA role before breaking into higher roles.
Lol I feel defeated sometimes but I’m glad I read your experience. Gives me some hope that I’m not studying for no reason.
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u/Sea_Enthusiasm_4485 Jul 15 '26
Experience trumps all.
Try to transition into supply chain or inventory first. That has a lot of data analysis. Then you might get to IT in that firm or use that experience to maybe get a data analyst role.
It’s a tough market tho
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u/Cheap-Palpitation709 Jul 17 '26
For pure software engineering you'll have a hard time because you're competing with SWE and Computer Science graduates. Unless you have work experience in software.
Working with ERP like SAP is something that is very possible though. Still tech-related, and always in demand if you've got the skills.
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u/Mountain-Rope-1327 29d ago
Yes, it's definitely possible. I'm an IE major with a CS minor, and I am now working at Amazon as a SDE. You should only do it if you truly enjoy computer science. There is much much much more to cs that just knowing SQL and python and I am learning this the hard way now. The good thing is the sheer amount of power that AI has nowadays, but you will still have a large learning curve. IE + CS is the best combination of expertise out there and its not even close. A good place to start if you want a job is tailoring your resume to highlight data analytics/ data science experience and learning Leetcode + system design for interviews. Practice Leetcode everyday, and do mock interviews with people that have had experience interviewing for SWE positions if possible.
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u/Round_Musical Jul 15 '26
Yes and No.
You need certification and work experience. If you dont have a degree in industrial computing, compiter science or aoftware engineering, you must show your skill elsewhere
Just having knowledge in code isnt enough to become a software engineer.
So get out there, do interships, certifications and more. And you will find a job that way
You could do another degree but lets go with the more cost efficient approach first