I'm not a fan of this plan B stuff when you're 40.
Where is the plan B for doctors? Where is the plan B for Lawyers? Why do these other professionals have respect in the their old age and not us software engineers/programmers?
How depressing.
> The half-life of an engineer, software or hardware, is only a few years.
And I still don't get this. Move out of software and you'll find loads of over 40's and over 50's engineers. Here in Perth I know loads of older engineers, that are given dignity and respect along with their peers in Medicine and Law.
This plan B stuff is because of the culture that surrounds programmers. If there is any plan B, it is to maybe start admitting that older programmers might actually be useful and worthwhile for employment, much like every other white collar profession.
It's true that a 40 year old might not be able to work as many hours as a 20 year old, but that doesn't mean each hour is worth the same. At 40, you'd hope that the older programmers hours put in are more considered with all their experience and are most certainly worth it.
The same goes for older Lawyers and older doctors, they might not be as energetic as 20 year olds, but with all that experience to make that much more of an informed decision, it certainly means the older generation can compete.
This is a culture issue.
> Software engineering reliably undergoes a major technology shift at least every 10 years.
I doubt any shift invalidates real fundamental knowledge.
Sure if your entire career has only been a couple of languages with very little algorithm theory, then true, but that's because you never studied the subject, on your own or formally, that isn't because you're 40.
For example, Doctors and Lawyers have to have the fundamentals down, it's very important. I guess it's true that not enough programmers have the fundamentals down and that is an issue.
But if you're 40 and have training in the fundamentals such as algorithms and design before even hitting the code, you should easily be able to adapt.
> The more irrelevant experience a candidate has, the more lopsided the utility/value equation becomes
Again this is a HR issue. A software engineer/programmer that starts their work from the design and algorithm level should be able to pick up a new language in a couple of weeks. This issue is mainly with the way we hire programmers not with the programmers themselves.
It's like the job ad for 10 years experience in Node.js when Node.js was 3 years old. Just because HR are clueless doesn't mean we need to all start changing our careers.
If you want my advice, it's learn that knowing people is as important (or more!) than what you know.
If you build up your career around being an expert and networking, you will be in a better position than the expert who knows no one.
>Where is the plan B for doctors? Where is the plan B for Lawyers? Why do these other professionals have respect in the their old age and not us software engineers/programmers?
They have unions.
Doctors and lawyers also have strong protections from foreign competition. It simply doesn't matter if you are the best doctor or lawyer if you trained outside of the United States. You won't be allowed to practise until you qualify in the US.
I completely agree and the sad truth is that we software people do it to ourselves by devaluing the contributions of older/more experienced people.
OTOH if we move toward a more professional / credentialed / high-status profession that won't be all roses, what with exams, high barriers to entry, slow/uniform career progression, etc. I don't like not having a plan after 40 but I do enjoy how meritocratic the industry is, and how it really does reward hard work more than just, say, years worked.
Where is the plan B for doctors? Where is the plan B for Lawyers? Why do these other professionals have respect in the their old age and not us software engineers/programmers?
How depressing.
> The half-life of an engineer, software or hardware, is only a few years.
And I still don't get this. Move out of software and you'll find loads of over 40's and over 50's engineers. Here in Perth I know loads of older engineers, that are given dignity and respect along with their peers in Medicine and Law.
This plan B stuff is because of the culture that surrounds programmers. If there is any plan B, it is to maybe start admitting that older programmers might actually be useful and worthwhile for employment, much like every other white collar profession.
It's true that a 40 year old might not be able to work as many hours as a 20 year old, but that doesn't mean each hour is worth the same. At 40, you'd hope that the older programmers hours put in are more considered with all their experience and are most certainly worth it.
The same goes for older Lawyers and older doctors, they might not be as energetic as 20 year olds, but with all that experience to make that much more of an informed decision, it certainly means the older generation can compete.
This is a culture issue.
> Software engineering reliably undergoes a major technology shift at least every 10 years.
I doubt any shift invalidates real fundamental knowledge. Sure if your entire career has only been a couple of languages with very little algorithm theory, then true, but that's because you never studied the subject, on your own or formally, that isn't because you're 40.
For example, Doctors and Lawyers have to have the fundamentals down, it's very important. I guess it's true that not enough programmers have the fundamentals down and that is an issue.
But if you're 40 and have training in the fundamentals such as algorithms and design before even hitting the code, you should easily be able to adapt.
> The more irrelevant experience a candidate has, the more lopsided the utility/value equation becomes
Again this is a HR issue. A software engineer/programmer that starts their work from the design and algorithm level should be able to pick up a new language in a couple of weeks. This issue is mainly with the way we hire programmers not with the programmers themselves.
It's like the job ad for 10 years experience in Node.js when Node.js was 3 years old. Just because HR are clueless doesn't mean we need to all start changing our careers.
If you want my advice, it's learn that knowing people is as important (or more!) than what you know.
If you build up your career around being an expert and networking, you will be in a better position than the expert who knows no one.