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Ask HN: Where to Work After 40?

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Re: Ask HN: Where to Work After 40?

#111

Post by 9rx »

quesera wrote: post #108
9rx wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Per the dictionary, want is defined as: "ought, should, or need to do something." That which you ought, need, or should do is not necessarily what you desire. As it relates the conversation, financial stability is not likely a desire in and of itself, but it may be what you need.

There is no "the dictionary". E.g.: desire: transitive verb: To wish or long for; want - The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition desire: verb [T not continuous]: (WANT) - The Cambridge Dictionary (et cetera ad nauseam)

Yes, words often mean more than one thing. "want" has several commonly used meanings, not to mention that the author can define it however he pleases on the spot.

Re: Ask HN: Where to Work After 40?

#112

Post by brainwipe »

InsideOutSanta wrote: post #66
scrumper wrote: post #30

I have a couple ideas for you from my own experience. There's about a bajillion C/D+ stage 100-500 person software companies in any B2B vertical you could mention who would fight hard for your type of experience. Not necessarily SaaS click-and-drool tools for corporate drones, but unique and opinionated products that have some significant engineering innovation inside. Those companies have essentially no ability to a…

This. I'm now working at a small- to mid-sized (~80 people) local B2B company. Pay is fine, they offer 100% WFH if you want, but they also have nice offices, they make good and stable revenue with reasonable growth targets, the actual work is somewhere between interesting and mind-numbingly stupid (e.g. integrating with poorly documented enterprise software - can be fun, but can also be aggravating), people are mostl…

This has been my life for the last 10 years and I know who my children really are. They're evil and I love it.

Re: Ask HN: Where to Work After 40?

#113

Post by jghn »

pjmlp wrote: post #11

For me, reaching 50, it is all about boring enterprise consulting. You still get to jump around technology, althought it might not be as cool, as whatever newer generations are making use of on startups, but on the other hand seniority combined with such stacks is exactly what many companies are looking for. Naturally social skills also play a big role, as they expect people of our age to also contribute to discussio…

Are you talking about big companies like Accenture, Deloitte, etc? Or something else?

Re: Ask HN: Where to Work After 40?

#114

Post by AaronM »

scrumper wrote: post #30

I have a couple ideas for you from my own experience. There's about a bajillion C/D+ stage 100-500 person software companies in any B2B vertical you could mention who would fight hard for your type of experience. Not necessarily SaaS click-and-drool tools for corporate drones, but unique and opinionated products that have some significant engineering innovation inside. Those companies have essentially no ability to a…

I work for a place very similar to what you described. Its a really good gig

Re: Ask HN: Where to Work After 40?

#115

Post by bloomingkales »

plagiarist wrote: post #48
Suzuran wrote: post #42

It is my understanding that if you are older than 35, have no C-suite social connections, and you lose your tech job, your tech career is over. Your only opportunities will be entry-level since none of your original education will pass automated filters, no entry-level hire is paid anything above subsistence wages, and at 35+ your rapidly-increasing medical issues (the piper's due for 20+ years of treating your body…

I hope you're doing okay because this is pretty bleak. I also have a bleak outlook on the future, the healthcare costs in particular. I don't want to spend years building up money and then have cancer wipe it all out in just months. I haven't (yet) added "tech career ends at 40" to my set of looming tragedies. I'm currently more worried for people starting their careers, they seem replaceable by LLMs. Perhaps I have…

This person sounds incredibly negative and delusional. We're not animals that put people into a job in there 20s and say your career is over in 15 years.

If your worldview is that people are animals, then yeah, you know. Work on yourself.

Re: Ask HN: Where to Work After 40?

#116

Post by quesera »

9rx wrote: post #111
quesera wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is no "the dictionary". E.g.: desire: transitive verb: To wish or long for; want - The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition desire: verb [T not continuous]: (WANT) - The Cambridge Dictionary (et cetera ad nauseam)

Yes, words often mean more than one thing. "want" has several commonly used meanings, not to mention that the author can define it however he pleases on the spot.

Right. So I'm sticking with the belief that you cannot coherently differentiate "want" from "desire", which was my point. :)

Re: Ask HN: Where to Work After 40?

#117

Post by austin-cheney »

yodsanklai wrote: post #99

I don't think anybody can answer this question for you. At 40, you can still do the exact same jobs as someone who's 25 (at least in tech) if you put your heart in it. I don't know what's the expiry date for a SWE, but it's not 40. I'm a median IC in big tech at almost 50 and don't feel discriminated against yet, and for the most part, don't feel incompetent or behind, and feel I'm having the greatest time of my care…

While many people talk about a bias against hiring ICs over 40 I also wonder if there is a bias to favor people over 40 for promotions.

Re: Ask HN: Where to Work After 40?

#118

Post by snowwrestler »

quesera wrote: post #97
9rx wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Neither desire or need was mentioned, only want, which addresses both desire and need. If financial security is what the OP wants, the parent comment already has him covered.

If you can coherently differentiate "want" from "desire", I'd love to hear it. :)

I mean, they are different words for a reason.

Re: Ask HN: Where to Work After 40?

#119

Post by dasil003 »

I made the move from smaller startups to progressively large companies and from IC to manager. My main motivator is to continue to find personal growth, which increasingly means learning about the human side of building software at scale. As I approach 50, a bigger pay check and more stability are of course bonuses, but I find the idea of software engineers "retiring" at 40 pretty offensive. It reeks of entitled rest-and-vest culture, and will put you in a position where companies would be right not to hire you. Instead, stay hungry, and find a place that rewards that.

Re: Ask HN: Where to Work After 40?

#120

Post by quesera »

snowwrestler wrote: post #118
quesera wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you can coherently differentiate "want" from "desire", I'd love to hear it. :)

I mean, they are different words for a reason.

Then differentiate them coherently for me. Ideally with either prescriptivist justification or descriptivist evidence.
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