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Computer Programming jobs come in two flavors: code jockeys and code engineers.

Code jockeys are just people who put code together. They think in terms of the tool and not the process. These people often call themselves by their tool—"React programmer," "Java programmer," etc.

Code engineers understand the internals of their work, especially the math and engineering behind the coding. They focus on algorithm programming paradigms, while languages are just tools. These people will generally call themselves in terms of "Engineer."

And no, it does not mean that a Code jockey can't be a great asset or that an engineer is the best fit on the team; it does explain what type of person you need for a specific situation.

Yes, there are many colleges where the output is more code jockeys to code engineers, but for the most part, self-taught people very rarely ever develop an engineering background. And no, being from MIT, Stanford, or any other top-tier engineering university (ex, Cornell, Ga Tech, UT, Rice) does not make you an engineer. But it tells me you are more likely to have that background.

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