I would like to ask the advice of those who have possibly been in my situation:
I am over 50, and have been developing software since the late 70’s. Over the years I switched from being a full timer at Hughes Aircraft in LA to a part time consultant in Hawaii. Things went pretty well for decades, but after a family loss I lost interest in work for several years.
Since then, and after my skills no doubt became somewhat outdated, it is absolutely impossible to find work. The continuous news articles about the “great quit” where many folks are leaving work, as well as the claims that hirers are having great difficulty finding employees seem to be fictional from my POV.
Over the past few years I have been only interviewed once or twice a year by anyone who seemed interested, most notably Google and Facebook, but neither decided I was a worthy hire. At this point it seems impossible to get even a junior developer job! The only interest I ever see is from recruiters overseas, who seem to be matching my resume up with job listings by keyword only.
Does anyone have any advice for a developer who has been writing (and delivering) code for over four decades on how to find a job? How do I make someone believe they are hiring a developer who can deliver? I know it sounds ridiculous, but that’s the situation I am in!