I want to continue doing data science out of personal love for statistics and curiosity toward open world, research-oriented questions. (Undergrad-level math background, but no graduate degree - so academic/RS job is out of the question.) 1. Is this sustainable for career growth on SWE ladder (to remain as first class citizen at Alphabet)? Or should I switch to a purely DS-oriented path? 2. Should I give up on DS-style work, and focus on learning to become a better SWE instead (distributed systems and software design) for sake of TC and long-term trajectory?
How did you become swe at Google with only a math background and no cs?
Above is true. I took some CS courses (around 10-15), but they are mostly algorithmic and ML-focused (not related to web architecture).
SWE title gives maximum flexibility. But do what you like and are good at. You may have to limit yourself to certain types of roles, but it will be what you enjoy so who cares.
do what you like more, man
This