If you’re still learning to code in 2024, we’ve got to be real: software engineering is in a weird place right now. It’s one of the first high-profile jobs directly in the firing line of AI, and I’m not going to sugar coat it. In this video I talk about where I think the role is going, what the job of a software engineer could look like in 2030, and what this means for juniors trying to break in. I’ve watched the role evolve for years—back when you could get hired with just HTML/CSS/JavaScript, and now it’s cloud, DevOps, Docker/Kubernetes, and constant upskilling. My take is that engineering becomes more strategic: you’re basically the “CTO” of AI agents, overseeing and reviewing output, translating business needs into product, and caring more about architecture, system design, readability, performance, and sustainability. I also cover why juniors might get disrupted (pathways may change), why new roles like AI product manager will pop up, why frontend/UX will still matter (there’s an arms race for the most intuitive AI), and why security/appsec becomes even more crucial with tons of AI-generated code. Finally, I give two paths—chilled vs proactive—and the big one: soft skills are king.