4 ms·

I'm not convinced that 56 is that old for companies, especially large ones. I'm not sure this is anything more than the current financial problems that Spain i

by steven2012 12y ago

I'm not convinced that 56 is that old for companies, especially large ones. I'm not sure this is anything more than the current financial problems that Spain is experiencing. There is 25% unemployment and many banks have purportedly been teetering on collapse. There simply may not be jobs available for him in Spain, unfortunately. His best bet is to move around in the EU, and go to a country that is willing to hire him. Place like UK, France are likely doing better than Spain is, and will probably have more jobs.

luisivan 12y ago
Totally agree, the thing with countries like France is the language barrier. But he is fluent with English, so I may tell him to apply for UK jobs as well. Thanks!
- wernercd 12y ago
  Tell him to learn another language. He is a developer after all. :)
- shebson 12y ago
  Berlin may be worth considering as well. Opportunities for developers in Berlin are comparatively plentiful, and while it would be nice to know German if you live there, many tech companies in Berlin use English as the official language because employees come from so many places around the EU and the world.
  - luisivan 12y ago
    That's good to know, weren't aware of that
fadzlan 12y ago
I think that will depend on the country you are working on. I work in Malaysia, and by that age, you will have hard time finding work as a developer, since people are expecting you to start manage other people after a certain age. The economics are different, most jobs here are based on projects, there is not much product work. Even if you get infinitely better over time, there is not much economic on leveraging the knowledge, especially if you are the only one on the team that can be that good. Companies tend not to keep people long and people are keep moving on companies once projects are done, unless new projects are on the line. Since the turnover rate is high, it will only make sense to keep thing simple, hence there is not much use of much advanced knowledge of anyone. Because of that, up to a certain age, you very much reached the plateau of the max knowledge expected at the market. Keeping your development skill better may help you with your job, but it may not bring much to the negotiation table. That also means, it make sense to hire cheaper, younger talent if both have reach past the plateau, no matter which one is better. I am guessing this is a reason that people are expecting you to move "up" to the management ladder past the age.
- jon2512chua 12y ago
  Hey there, I'm from Malaysia but have been studying and working in Australia the past 7 years. Am really keen to get to know some Malaysian devs and find out what the software industry condition is like back home. My email's me@jonathanchua.com if you're keen.

luisivan 12y ago

Totally agree, the thing with countries like France is the language barrier. But he is fluent with English, so I may tell him to apply for UK jobs as well. Thanks!

wernercd 12y ago
Tell him to learn another language. He is a developer after all. :)
shebson 12y ago
Berlin may be worth considering as well. Opportunities for developers in Berlin are comparatively plentiful, and while it would be nice to know German if you live there, many tech companies in Berlin use English as the official language because employees come from so many places around the EU and the world.
- luisivan 12y ago
  That's good to know, weren't aware of that

fadzlan 12y ago

I think that will depend on the country you are working on. I work in Malaysia, and by that age, you will have hard time finding work as a developer, since people are expecting you to start manage other people after a certain age. The economics are different, most jobs here are based on projects, there is not much product work. Even if you get infinitely better over time, there is not much economic on leveraging the knowledge, especially if you are the only one on the team that can be that good. Companies tend not to keep people long and people are keep moving on companies once projects are done, unless new projects are on the line. Since the turnover rate is high, it will only make sense to keep thing simple, hence there is not much use of much advanced knowledge of anyone. Because of that, up to a certain age, you very much reached the plateau of the max knowledge expected at the market. Keeping your development skill better may help you with your job, but it may not bring much to the negotiation table. That also means, it make sense to hire cheaper, younger talent if both have reach past the plateau, no matter which one is better. I am guessing this is a reason that people are expecting you to move "up" to the management ladder past the age.

jon2512chua 12y ago
Hey there, I'm from Malaysia but have been studying and working in Australia the past 7 years. Am really keen to get to know some Malaysian devs and find out what the software industry condition is like back home. My email's me@jonathanchua.com if you're keen.