Currently, I am classified as a systems engineer.  Formerly, I was a software engineer, the change was due to a mindset at my company.  They treat people in the modeling/simulation field as a subset of systems engineering rather than software.  As an algorithm developer, the case could be made for belonging to either.  But, algorithm developers don’t fit squarely into that hole either.  I guess you can say I have an identity crisis.

I stumble on this interesting article talking about the current needs for ‘robust’ systems engineers.  On the side, I’ve been taking the typical systems courses at work.  Most of the engineers have a great deal of depth, and not much breadth.  Having a varied background — military, pilot, instructor, physicist, etc — seems to agree with this kind of job.  I have to decide whether to specialize or generalize.  Either way, seems like a good move.