You want to know some things that define actual engineers, as the term is regulated in some countries? That's great if things work that way in other countries.

You want to know some things that define actual engineers, as the term is regulated in some countries? That's great if things work that way in other countries. But in the States, things work differently (in the software industry, at least). And like it or not, are unlikely to change (any more than this country is likely to shift over to the metric system) anytime soon. And unfortunately the term "programmer", as a resume heading, has come to be laden with negative baggage in various ways (as detailed in the original article). So in practical terms, you are 1000% better off calling yourself an engineer or developer (rather than a "programmer") in the U.S. at least.