I just finished a PhD in stats, and before that, studied computer science. I had planned to go back to industry to do software engineering or be a data scientist afterwards.

However, it seems that in the meantime, vibe coding has taken over the software industry and swallowed most data scientist roles. Few open positions, and the ones that do exist are just pushing a button instead of thinking and solving problems. Is this a correct assessment? Should I try to get back in or just find a new career? I am not too keen on staying in academia either.

  • AlecSadler@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    221·
    13 hours ago

    As a career software engineer, I think you’re right to ask the question.

    I’m going to give an answer that will get me downvoted to hell, but you deserve to hear it.

    Your PhD is extremely useful in specific cases regardless of AI slop-coding existing. With the caveat that you may need to be open to leveraging AI tooling to go faster.

    I work with a few PhDs, smart people, sharp people, amazing ideas, but the things they think of and approaches they try are not something your AI/LLM is going to just magically always suggest. Even if it does, it likely won’t be contextually correct or proper for the situation.

    A hybrid approach of someone with the intelligence to steer LLMs towards a goal and who understands the right ways to prompt to achieve or test that goal quickly is valuable.

    I don’t know you, haven’t met you, don’t know your actual technical knowledge - but assuming that stuff all checked out it is exactly the type of thing some companies I’ve worked for or work for would hire around.

    Unfortunately, the roles that appreciate someone like you are fewer and further between, but they exist and they’re in-demand based on what I’ve seen.