Software engineer

A software engineer, known in French as an ingénieur logiciel, is a professional who analyses users’ needs, designs software solutions and develops them. The role also covers testing, documentation and the further development of software once it is in use. They help deliver a reliable, usable product that can accommodate new needs.

The profession extends beyond web development. It covers desktop and mobile applications, business software and embedded computing. The domain affects the knowledge required: when describing a role, specify the software involved, its users and the constraints under which it operates. A shared job title alone does not establish that two people’s experience is comparable.

The scope also depends on the organisation. A software engineer may work across several stages of a project or specialise in a technical area. Both creating software and improving a product already in use fall within the role’s scope. The job description should therefore make clear how much of the work involves design, programming and maintenance.

The titles software developer (développeur logiciel) and ingénieur études et développement may cover the same analysis, design and programming activities. They do not establish a universal distinction between roles.

Software reliability, ease of use and the ability to evolve matter to the business beyond the initial delivery. A product must meet its users’ needs while allowing faults to be addressed and subsequent changes to be prepared. These considerations give purpose to design choices, testing and documentation.

The first challenge is to translate the intended use accurately into software behaviour. An imprecise request leaves questions open about how the software should behave and which situations it must cover. If these points remain unclear, a solution may work technically without meeting the need. Clarifying usage with the people concerned gives development a shared direction.

Improving the product while maintaining existing uses

In existing software, a new feature becomes part of an established way of working. The work must take account of what users continue to expect from the product. Understanding its current behaviour, checking changes and retaining useful documentation help the team prepare for this development.

Hypothetical example: a company adds a feature to its business application. The change disrupts a process that teams already use. The challenge is then twofold: to fix the fault and enable use of the new feature. Tests covering both existing behaviour and the intended change give the team a way to check the result.

Another risk concerns continuity of work after delivery. If decisions remain difficult to understand, taking over the software may require additional effort. Documentation must therefore remain useful to the people who will work on it. Explicitly allocating responsibilities once the software is in use also makes clear who handles reported problems and future developments.

• Analyse users’ needs to clarify the software’s expected behaviour.
• Translate needs into functional and technical specifications.
• Design a solution suited to the product and its constraints.
• Program features in a language suited to the need.
• Test the software to validate how it works.
• Diagnose faults and make the necessary corrections.
• Document the software to make it easier to understand and develop further.
• Continue developing existing software after it enters use.

French engineering degrees specialising in computing, software development or software engineering, and master’s degrees, including Miage, prepare people for the profession. Apec also mentions computing courses at French bac +2 / 3 level. These descriptions of education routes do not imply that one qualification is mandatory for every role. The knowledge and skills expected depend on the software involved and the responsibilities assigned.

Learning remains useful throughout successive projects. Languages evolve, and security knowledge needs to be maintained. Specialisation may focus on a particular area of computing; it gives a person’s experience a scope that a degree title alone does not fully describe.

When defining the background required, it is therefore useful to distinguish the knowledge needed on arrival from what can be developed further with the team, depending on the support available.

To assess a candidate, use the following steps and adapt the exercises to the software, level of autonomy and responsibilities of the role.

1. Define a shared assessment framework

Select the decisive criteria before interviews: understanding the need, soundness of reasoning, quality of checks and clarity of explanations. Specify what is essential on arrival and what can be learnt.

For each criterion, describe an observable outcome. For a maintenance role, look in particular for an approach that seeks to understand existing behaviour before changing code. Assess knowledge specific to your environment separately.

Appoint the person who will assess the technical work. If your team lacks this expertise, involve a technical assessor who can understand the context of the role.

2. Examine previous work

Ask the candidate to present a project, starting with the problem to solve. Have them clarify their own role, the constraints they encountered and the decisions they contributed to.

Explore one choice in detail: what options did they consider, why did they choose this solution and how did they check the result? Then ask what they would change today.

Treat a precise account that distinguishes personal contribution from collective work as a positive signal. Probe answers that remain general or fail to explain how the software was tested.

3. Set an exercise relevant to the role

Choose a limited task that can be understood without knowing your company. Provide the necessary information and allow questions. Explain the assessment criteria before starting.

Hypothetical example: for a role focused on existing software, provide a short code extract with unexpected behaviour. Ask the candidate to explain it, propose a correction and describe useful checks.

Observe how they formulate hypotheses and test them against the code. Discuss the solution’s limitations, even when the result works. Do not base the assessment solely on speed of execution.

Ask follow-up questions if the candidate makes a change without explaining why or fails to check a correction. An initial difficulty can also reveal sound reasoning if the candidate can analyse it and adjust their approach.

4. Assess interactions with the team

Ask for an explanation of the solution aimed at a non-technical person. Observe whether the candidate makes the choice understandable without concealing uncertainties or limitations.

Revisit a disagreement encountered during a project. Have them clarify how information was shared and how the decision was made. Examine their ability to receive specific feedback.

If the role includes supporting other developers, address this responsibility separately. Ask for a situation in which the candidate helped a colleague understand a problem or develop their work further.

5. Compare observations

Compare assessments against the initial framework. Distinguish observed facts, points that remain uncertain and support needs. Avoid allowing a favourable overall impression to compensate for an essential gap.

If you take up references, tell the candidate about this step and agree on whom to contact. Focus on the responsibilities they held and collaboration on the software. Use these conversations to shed light on questions that remain open.