Old Techies Never Die; They Just Can’t Get Hired as an Industry Moves On (2012)
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Re: Old Techies Never Die; They Just Can’t Get Hired as an Industry Moves On (2012)
#2From what I'm gathering as a developer moving into 30, you have two options:
1. Market yourself so that when you hit the pay ceiling, you can move into consulting/freelancing with enough of a name for yourself that you can justify your rates to businesses.
2. Move into management. If you hate marketing, start looking for management/mentoring opportunities now so that your next promotion/job has some sort of manager title, which will continue your mobility up to the Director -> VP -> C-level.
Re: Old Techies Never Die; They Just Can’t Get Hired as an Industry Moves On (2012)
#3Date (2012).
Re: Old Techies Never Die; They Just Can’t Get Hired as an Industry Moves On (2012)
#4From what I'm gathering as a developer moving into 30, you have two options: 1. Market yourself so that when you hit the pay ceiling, you can move into consulting/freelancing with enough of a name for yourself that you can justify your rates to businesses. 2. Move into management. If you hate marketing, start looking for management/mentoring opportunities now so that your next promotion/job has some sort of manager t…
3. Squirrel away as much as possible while you have that high paying job and retire early. When retired, work on open source hardware and software.
Re: Old Techies Never Die; They Just Can’t Get Hired as an Industry Moves On (2012)
#5From what I'm gathering as a developer moving into 30, you have two options: 1. Market yourself so that when you hit the pay ceiling, you can move into consulting/freelancing with enough of a name for yourself that you can justify your rates to businesses. 2. Move into management. If you hate marketing, start looking for management/mentoring opportunities now so that your next promotion/job has some sort of manager t…
3. Squirrel away as much as possible while you have that high paying job and retire early. When retired, work on open source hardware and software.
So much this. Save as much as possible when you're young; just like football players and strippers (or any industry where age is paramount), it doesn't last forever.
EDIT: 32. Didn't save enough in my 20s. Saving as much as I can now (living below my means, paid off my mortgage, maxing out 401K/HSA/IRAs).
Re: Old Techies Never Die; They Just Can’t Get Hired as an Industry Moves On (2012)
#6Date (2012).
Thanks—added.
Re: Old Techies Never Die; They Just Can’t Get Hired as an Industry Moves On (2012)
#7So I turned 55 years old last Monday, am employed as a senior software engineer for a startup in the voter education and civic engagement space, and I guess I'm qualified to comment on this. I read this same refrain over and over, and if I peer just a little bit between the lines I think I perceive a common pattern. A lot of these people are just not up to keeping up. Learning the next thing is a wearisome burden for many of them. If you get to that point in your career, then yes, that's pretty much death in this business. If you haven't moved into management by that point consider another line of work.
For my own part, this is still what I love to do. I'm busy 10 or more hours a day and at least eight of them are spent with some technology I knew nothing about six months ago. I was layed off from another startup at the end of September and started this current gig three weeks later. We just finished five weeks ramping up on Google Container Engine, during which time I also learned to use GNU make for the first time, and learned about etcd and Google Compute Engine. What it boils down to is this: stay interested, and stay current, and you stay employed. If those things are not within your power you no longer belong in this craft.
Re: Old Techies Never Die; They Just Can’t Get Hired as an Industry Moves On (2012)
#8I seem to recall seeing this a few years ago, and I think the same basic addition still applies.
"Old Techies Never Die; They Just Can't Get Hired in Bay Area Technology Companies and Startups as an Industry Moves On."
Re: Old Techies Never Die; They Just Can’t Get Hired as an Industry Moves On (2012)
#9So I turned 55 years old last Monday, am employed as a senior software engineer for a startup in the voter education and civic engagement space, and I guess I'm qualified to comment on this. I read this same refrain over and over, and if I peer just a little bit between the lines I think I perceive a common pattern. A lot of these people are just not up to keeping up. Learning the next thing is a wearisome burden for…
Great comment. Ride the wave, or watch it from the shore.
Re: Old Techies Never Die; They Just Can’t Get Hired as an Industry Moves On (2012)
#10So I turned 55 years old last Monday, am employed as a senior software engineer for a startup in the voter education and civic engagement space, and I guess I'm qualified to comment on this. I read this same refrain over and over, and if I peer just a little bit between the lines I think I perceive a common pattern. A lot of these people are just not up to keeping up. Learning the next thing is a wearisome burden for…
Yes the key is keep learning - unless you keep up you will end up on the scrap heap very quickly.
I am not quite as old (45) and I still love learning new things, but it does take more effort than when I was younger.