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Ask HN: Any jobs that don't force you to always be advancing career wise?

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Re: Ask HN: Any jobs that don't force you to always be advancing career wise?

#111

Post by bigtimesink »

NoMoreNicksLeft wrote: post #5
PaulHoule wrote: post #2

Personally working in smaller companies, startups (the scene probably ends somehow in 1-3 years) and academic organizations (professors have a career path, staff not) I find that no advancement is a norm.

Startups though, ugh. Maybe tomorrow you will end up a millionaire with stock, or you're eating catfood and hoping the grocery bill difference will be enough to pay the mortgage next month while you desperately look for a job in the worst economy since 2008. If there's an in-between, I've never seen it personally.

There are zombie startups. The business has stalled out, but breaks even. The staff and investors are checked out. Ambitious product people show up with big ideas that never work and then leave. They keep going until someone finds a buyer or the business fails.

Re: Ask HN: Any jobs that don't force you to always be advancing career wise?

#112

Post by MangoCoffee »

dartharva wrote: post #39
pelagicAustral wrote: post #36

Get the same job working for government. Work stability in government is unparalleled, and there is so much cruft and technical debt that you will literally spend up until your last breath fixing legacy code and trying to get people off ancient software systems. You will stagnate, and nobody will give a shit. People will come and go next to you, but you will be stable through the ages, like a pillar in an ancient Rom…

I wouldn't be so sure considering what's happening with federal govt offices in the US right now..

I don't think it's that different from the private sector. I've been with my current employer for almost 7 years. The company has been sold twice with layoffs. My manager, who hired me years ago, is leaving.

Re: Ask HN: Any jobs that don't force you to always be advancing career wise?

#115

Post by cantrecallmypwd »

seanw444 wrote: post #56
giantg2 wrote: post #52

Maybe just job-hop. Sure, you're a senior for 10 years at one company, then be a senior at another company for another 10 years. I know that's easier said than done, and could run into ageism as you get older.

I keep hearing about this "ageism" but it's never made sense to me. I would always want to hire an older, wiser developer, if I were calling the shots. Why is this a thing?

It's definitely a thing.

Just one example: I was working at Stanford in the Med School and one of the admin people was forced out simply for the crime of being "old" without any specific performance problem or inability.

Another anecdotal negative confirmation: When I was 19, I was constantly offered jobs. You don't hear me singing that tune anymore.

Re: Ask HN: Any jobs that don't force you to always be advancing career wise?

#116

Post by scarface_74 »

pelagicAustral wrote: post #36

Get the same job working for government. Work stability in government is unparalleled, and there is so much cruft and technical debt that you will literally spend up until your last breath fixing legacy code and trying to get people off ancient software systems. You will stagnate, and nobody will give a shit. People will come and go next to you, but you will be stable through the ages, like a pillar in an ancient Rom…

Have you checked on what’s going on in the government this year?

Re: Ask HN: Any jobs that don't force you to always be advancing career wise?

#117

Post by scarface_74 »

giantg2 wrote: post #52

Maybe just job-hop. Sure, you're a senior for 10 years at one company, then be a senior at another company for another 10 years. I know that's easier said than done, and could run into ageism as you get older.

I’m 50.

It has never taken me more than a month to get a job when I was looking and most of the time at least two offers.

I changed jobs when I was 25, 34, 37, 39, 41, 44, 46, 49 and 50.

My first only and hopefully last job in BigTech was at 46.

If you are old and have the experience, network and reputation you should have built based on your age, the world is your oyster.

If you don’t have experience with current technology, you’re screwed.

Re: Ask HN: Any jobs that don't force you to always be advancing career wise?

#118

Post by scarface_74 »

cantrecallmypwd wrote: post #115
seanw444 wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I keep hearing about this "ageism" but it's never made sense to me. I would always want to hire an older, wiser developer, if I were calling the shots. Why is this a thing?

It's definitely a thing. Just one example: I was working at Stanford in the Med School and one of the admin people was forced out simply for the crime of being "old" without any specific performance problem or inability. Another anecdotal negative confirmation: When I was 19, I was constantly offered jobs. You don't hear me singing that tune anymore.

I have been constantly offered jobs from the time I was 22 until last year when I was 50.

Re: Ask HN: Any jobs that don't force you to always be advancing career wise?

#119

Post by twic »

blitzar wrote: post #109
williamsmj wrote: post #13

Bloomberg. The terminal level on their IC ladder is "Senior". They have no formal concept of Staff or Principal engineer. People spend decades there.

Most of finance is flat (or two tiers at least - upper management and everyone else) - that was going to be my reccomendation.

Thirded. Plenty of 40+ geezers on trading desks who have been doing the same job for a decade or two (although that job changes constantly, of course).

Re: Ask HN: Any jobs that don't force you to always be advancing career wise?

#120

Post by giantg2 »

scarface_74 wrote: post #117
giantg2 wrote: post #52

Maybe just job-hop. Sure, you're a senior for 10 years at one company, then be a senior at another company for another 10 years. I know that's easier said than done, and could run into ageism as you get older.

I’m 50. It has never taken me more than a month to get a job when I was looking and most of the time at least two offers. I changed jobs when I was 25, 34, 37, 39, 41, 44, 46, 49 and 50. My first only and hopefully last job in BigTech was at 46. If you are old and have the experience, network and reputation you should have built based on your age, the world is your oyster. If you don’t have experience with current te…

If you're getting hired based on network, then you don't know the struggle.
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