Max career length depends on how the young engineer sets himself up. Early in your career you want to bootstrap yourself with some hot new technology to get you

Max career length depends on how the young engineer sets himself up. Early in your career you want to bootstrap yourself with some hot new technology to get your foot in the door. Once you are about 3-4 years in, you need to switch gears and focus on learning the things that change slowly. Such as: 1. How to work with people (technical/non-technical) 2. More about math and general concepts of your craft, not just new language X. 3. Measuring the business effects of your work. People are more apt to deal with a 20 something nerd with a bad attitude because he's cheap and fits the stereotype. An expensive 40 something with the same attributes will be seen as a weirdo.