Basically, a job for a
software company that involves using the company's
software for
money. I am an applications
engineer, and my job is broken down as follows:
- 50%: Consulting in the use of the software for our customers. This means going out to the client, and
- Giving my advice on how to approach the development of their product using our software, or
- Actually building the relevant software component for our customer as a consultant. This may also be done from the home office.
- 20%: Pre-sales: going out with a salesperson to visit potential customers. The salesperson tells them how great the product is, then I get up and explain why the product is so great.
- 20%: Tech Support, if I'm not on the clock for anyone else.
- 10%: Miscellaneous
The job description is not always as above. For some companies, applications engineer means only 'consultant'. For our main
competitor, the applications engineers only do
pre-sales.
Perks: Travel, respect from customers as an expert in your field, and you never do the same thing for more than a couple of weeks.
Drawbacks: An unpredictable schedule, no opportunity to actually work on development of the tool itself, and not much respect from your associates who do. Especially when you find bugs.