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Not quite so clear. This is a layoff of 14,000 hardware or low-level networking systems engineers [1], not 14,000 front-end developers, it is not so obvious to
by lazaroclapp 10y ago
Not quite so clear. This is a layoff of 14,000 hardware or low-level networking systems engineers [1], not 14,000 front-end developers, it is not so obvious to me that the current Silicon Valley market is ready to absorb them so easily.
Interesting to think those were the kind of jobs, and CISCO the kind of company, that once gave Silicon Valley its name. Makes you wonder how the market for software engineers, even adaptable always-learning hack-through-the-night-for-fun engineers, might look in 20 or 30 years.
[1] Read "(low-level networking systems) engineers", not "low-level (networking systems engineers )"
- cm2187 10y agoI agree but they have a guaranteed job if they retrain. These are relatively smart and educated people. Retraining shouldn't be the end of the world. In my profession (banking), staff levels have been going pretty much consistently down since the financial crisis, as banks shrink or retreat from certain activities. But these are mostly bright, educated, business savvy people, who end up doing something else. For many it is a blessing in disguise, an opportunity (albeit in a brutal way) to move away from a shrinking industry to become their own boss or to work on the next big thing.
- bluedino 10y agoTrue, but most companies are going to look at them as no better than recent grads if they need to retrain. Imagine what a guy makes that's been at Cisco for 15 years? Now imagine what you can pay a recent graduate or H1B.
- cm2187 10y agoThey can retrain as big data specialists! No long term experts out there. A graduate with 1y experience is a veteran.
- thrwawy717 10y agoIt's not 14,000 engineers who are getting laid off. It is across all functions.
- 72deluxe 10y agoI always wonder what happens to those software engineers, the "hack through the night" sort of guys. They must eventually burn out, or get replaced by the younger developers who are onto the next "hack through the night" project. There must reach a stage in development where you're considered "too old" (sadly) or haven't kept up with the latest and greatest in trends. What do you do then?? Project manage? Do all developers move into project management? I see this mildly where I work where older developers are greatly valued (they're good!) but haven't kept up to date, eg. a lot of C++ is here, but nobody here (and I mean nobody) has any understanding of C++11, C++14 changes and are stuck in the C++98 ways. They even call C++11 "C++0x" still. This is different to the "learn the next fad" approach, as C++98/2003 deserve to go away.
- hvidgaard 10y agoThere is a difference between not knowing the latest and greatest, and not keeping yourself updated with the evolution of your tool of choice. Most people will do the former after a while. It's too much time spend with too little gain. The latter however is not acceptable. I want my developers to know about the latest version of .net, and if they're not using linq they're doing it wrong.
- cm2187 10y agoBut if they are not using WCF they are doing it right! Not all evolutions of the tool should be followed blindly.
- pjc50 10y agoIndeed. Pioneers are the people with arrows in their backs. For a stable system it's reasonable to wait before adopting change; especially if large areas of the existing system are built with a previous technology. Moving to new changes results in internal inconsistency, and possibly problems at the boundaries.
- hvidgaard 10y agoI never stated all evolution should be followed blindly. But once the evolution becomes established as best practice, there is very few reasons to not do it.