While coding and biology might not seem like a natural combination at first glance, there are actually a number of places where you might find they overlap.

We’ll explore how to change careers from biology to software engineering, including the key skills you need to learn and the steps you can take to become a software engineer.

Learn Where Coding and Biology Intersect

The first step in pivoting your career is to identify which skills you may utilize in both your current (or old) role and your new one. There’s actually a lot of common ground between coding and biology.

Software engineering is responsible for many of the tools biologists use on a daily basis including computer modeling, machine learning algorithms, and genome editing programs.

Some graduate biology programs are beginning to grasp the growing importance of programming, but regardless, having at least some baseline computer science skills at your disposal could prove to be a valuable asset if you want to stand out from your peers.

Plus, for some emerging career paths in the biology sector, coding skills aren’t just useful, they’re a requirement. This is perhaps most evident in the complex field of bioinformatics.

What is Bioinformatics?

You’re not alone if your first question was, What is bioinformatics?” In its simplest terms