To me "critical thinking" and being able to think out of the box are some of the key differences between a software developer and a software engineer. A softwar

To me "critical thinking" and being able to think out of the box are some of the key differences between a software developer and a software engineer. A software developer just develops according to what he was told. A software engineer has to figure out stuff for himself. I have many colleagues who can't really think for themselves. Once they hit an obstacle, they are stuck and can't come up with workarounds. Software engineers are rarer and able to do exactly that.