11–20 of 32 posts
Is there anything in particular that pushed you over the edge beyond fluent?
The thing that terrifies me about the technology industry as a whole is that it plays favorites to the young, yet it's the only field I've ever truly been passionate about. I'm approaching 40 and have reached the executive level, which is great...yay. However, will I still be working in tech when I'm 70? I want to, but will companies let me? I doubt it.
It bothers me to think that the only way I'll be able to continue to work in the field I love dearly is to go my own way and start my own company. Hey, that's what I want to do anyway, but it'd be nice if that were simply an option rather than a requirement (and, even nicer if it odds were in favor of it happening successfully).
Best of luck to all of you aging techies who are in my boat (or further along). This industry is a harsh mistress.
I'm a native English speaker living in Argentina, and yours is the first English writing I've seen by an Argentine that is enjoyable (I read some of your other posts) and doesn't contain errors, and that includes people who were schooled bilingually. Is there anything in particular that pushed you over the edge beyond fluent?
Jorge Luis Borges once said "let others brag about the pages they have written; I'm proud of those I've read." What I believe he meant (and I agree) is that a person's writing is a reflection of what they have read. I've read many more books in English than in any other language (including Spanish).
I'm a native English speaker living in Argentina, and yours is the first English writing I've seen by an Argentine that is enjoyable (I read some of your other posts) and doesn't contain errors, and that includes people who were schooled bilingually. Is there anything in particular that pushed you over the edge beyond fluent?
I share this sentiment...for me, retirement is not the freedom from work, but the freedom to work on what I chose. Life would be boring without productivity. Additionally, as I age, I've felt a gradually stronger internal pull towards meaningful work. The thing that terrifies me about the technology industry as a whole is that it plays favorites to the young, yet it's the only field I've ever truly been passionate ab…
To me this means always being at the value creating edge - whether this is in creating companies and products, or being indispensable to those who are. How you do that is the challenge - could be capital, could be contacts, could be experience or just a proven track record of having some clarity in the dim view that is the future.
You seem to realise that relying on a career and job security might be risky. That's probably true. The only way to mitigate that particular risk is to start spreading the risk around into other areas - like starting a company now. That's not a prescription to dump all and start again, but looking at your current career trajectory with a critical eye is certainly a good idea.
And I need to call my Dad.
Retirement is not going to be an option for many future generations. The cost of living is getting too high, while salaries for many industries are falling too low.
This gut feeling first appeared in me when I saw GM renegotiate pension plans with its retirees. If even defined benefit pensions can be renegotiated, what is the actual rate of return on those suckers? Is it enough for anything? And it's not like I trust mutual funds, housing, or anything else to be much better anymore.
So I come to the conclusion that lifelong work will become a necessity for most. Retirement will be a luxury.
The true ideal in my mind is semi-retirement. Work less, less often, and if you don't feel like working simply don't. Adjust your schedule so it is absolutely to your liking - show up at 10 AM leave at 3 PM, etc. Peoples careers should degrade gracefully, not come to a crashing halt like we've come to embrace in our society