Artificial intelligence has fundamentally changed what it takes to succeed as a software engineer, according to Akaash Vishal Hazarika, a senior engineer with eight years of experience at companies including Google, Amazon, Splunk, and Salesforce.
Speaking about his career journey, Hazarika said AI is no longer viewed as an optional tool. Most tech companies now expect engineers to use AI to speed up development, handle repetitive coding tasks, and improve reliability. This shift allows engineers to focus more on system design and complex business logic.
Hazarika told Business Insider, preparing for a software engineering role today is very different from five years ago. In 2020, strong performance in data structures, algorithms, and system design interviews often helped candidates stand out. Today, those skills are considered the minimum requirement.
While problem-solving ability, scalability knowledge, and cloud expertise remain essential, engineers are now expected to understand prompt engineering and AI-assisted debugging. Companies also look for candidates who know how to integrate AI into existing systems and decide when traditional solutions are more appropriate.
Interviews have evolved as well. Hazarika said some companies now allow candidates to use AI tools during live coding sessions. In one 2024 interview with a Silicon Valley startup, he was given a large codebase to debug and was encouraged to use AI. He chose not to and failed the interview, an experience he described as a wake-up call.
System design interviews increasingly include questions on AI integration, infrastructure planning, and model lifecycle management. Behavioral interviews also focus on how candidates evaluate AI use and balance automation with human oversight.
Hazarika advises aspiring engineers to position themselves as hybrid professionals who combine strong engineering fundamentals with practical AI skills.
