4 ms·

Now, seriously, if a software engineer in his/her forties is unemployable in 2015, what the heck is an accountant, lawyer, a builder, a painter or a woodworker

by mpermar 11y ago

Now, seriously, if a software engineer in his/her forties is unemployable in 2015, what the heck is an accountant, lawyer, a builder, a painter or a woodworker to just name a few? Come on. We are so lucky we did choose technology as a way of living. Sorry but stop complaining and start learning back new stuff. Can't believe what someone has to read. -- A developer in his forties.

jacknews 11y ago
I don't think the comparison with lawyers and accountants really works, those careers seem to reward seniority quite heavily. Perhaps for builders and painters (as in walls, not canvas), it is more appropriate, since in technology I guess programming is more equivalent to a tradesman, than an architect.
- robotkilla 11y ago
  > I don't think the comparison with lawyers and accountants really works I do, but I think it was misapplied. My step-grandmother is a business lawyer who has passed the bar in multiple states including Florida. She is extremely intelligent, reads faster than anyone I've encountered and is very current with the times. She is also 60 and hasn't been able to get a job in years due to her age... so she has to contract.
- FilterSweep 11y ago
  Going to have to be honest with you, there are probably strong-arm measures in firms used to prevent automation from taking the jobs away from accountants. My best friend is dealing with the CPA exams now and I can't imagine what he does cant have already been fully automated out with less workers doing Quality Assurance at a far cheaper price
- mpermar 11y ago
  Works with any industry. Sure, there is highly rewarded lawyer or accountant professionals. Just as there is highly rewarded developers. But all others tend to be pushed by younger and cheaper workforce. And Software is one of those blessed industries where one on his/her forties can refocus and get reskilled pretty quickly. Tell an accountant to reskill. Damn it. Today, one, if willing, can just learn the latest new technology and not only become 1000% employable but also relevant. Can't think of any other sector like this. We're so lucky.
robotkilla 11y ago
You do realize that for the last several years we've been trying to churn out new developers who will accept jobs for very low wages (or even come on as interns and work for free) and they've got an edge on the so-called "new stuff" which pushes out the 40 year olds? There's an even bigger push for this now. It seems like everywhere I turn someone is learning to "develop". Sad to say, most of these people only know how to pump out good SASS or HTML or know how to throw a bunch of APIs together. This of course is a skill of its own, and clearly one that pays bills, but the market will become saturated and the bubble will burst again.
- mpermar 11y ago
  Sure there is tons of new cheap developers. More than ever. And that's because there is more demand for developers and software than ever. Years ago you could only sell software running on gigantic servers or desktop computers. Now there is tablets, smartphones, tvs, consoles, glasses, watches... Of course there is demand for cheap workforce, and of course there is more demand than ever for skilled workforce. And salaries are going both ways, down and up. Certainly there is people demanding very cheap software engineers and so certainly never has been better paying software jobs. So it's a matter of skilling oneself up, specialising or searching carefully. But I 100% believe there is no better industry to be job searching on our 40s.
  - robotkilla 11y ago
    > So it's a matter of skilling oneself up, specialising or searching carefully. But I 100% believe there is no better industry to be job searching on our 40s. I do agree with both of these statements which is why I try to level up on a constant basis. You are correct, apps and closed appliances are definitely the wave of the now, possibly continuing into the future. VR is about to hit the market, video games are going strong, people still think they need phones, and websites are still going strong. So yes tech is a great industry to be in, and what else are you going to do? Swing a hammer? But the more saturated the market gets with developers (and they don't have to be good as long as they're cheap and get the job done fast... something that is harder to do as you get older) the less value guys like myself or you will serve. Sticking with a company and one technology is of course a slow form of career death, but getting strangled out by all the new growth and an abandonment of the old (be that human or technology) is also a very real problem that isn't just going to vanish by cramming knowledge into your brain.

by mpermar 11y ago

jacknews 11y ago

I don't think the comparison with lawyers and accountants really works, those careers seem to reward seniority quite heavily. Perhaps for builders and painters (as in walls, not canvas), it is more appropriate, since in technology I guess programming is more equivalent to a tradesman, than an architect.

robotkilla 11y ago
> I don't think the comparison with lawyers and accountants really works I do, but I think it was misapplied. My step-grandmother is a business lawyer who has passed the bar in multiple states including Florida. She is extremely intelligent, reads faster than anyone I've encountered and is very current with the times. She is also 60 and hasn't been able to get a job in years due to her age... so she has to contract.
FilterSweep 11y ago
Going to have to be honest with you, there are probably strong-arm measures in firms used to prevent automation from taking the jobs away from accountants. My best friend is dealing with the CPA exams now and I can't imagine what he does cant have already been fully automated out with less workers doing Quality Assurance at a far cheaper price
mpermar 11y ago
Works with any industry. Sure, there is highly rewarded lawyer or accountant professionals. Just as there is highly rewarded developers. But all others tend to be pushed by younger and cheaper workforce. And Software is one of those blessed industries where one on his/her forties can refocus and get reskilled pretty quickly. Tell an accountant to reskill. Damn it. Today, one, if willing, can just learn the latest new technology and not only become 1000% employable but also relevant. Can't think of any other sector like this. We're so lucky.

robotkilla 11y ago

You do realize that for the last several years we've been trying to churn out new developers who will accept jobs for very low wages (or even come on as interns and work for free) and they've got an edge on the so-called "new stuff" which pushes out the 40 year olds? There's an even bigger push for this now. It seems like everywhere I turn someone is learning to "develop". Sad to say, most of these people only know how to pump out good SASS or HTML or know how to throw a bunch of APIs together. This of course is a skill of its own, and clearly one that pays bills, but the market will become saturated and the bubble will burst again.

mpermar 11y ago
Sure there is tons of new cheap developers. More than ever. And that's because there is more demand for developers and software than ever. Years ago you could only sell software running on gigantic servers or desktop computers. Now there is tablets, smartphones, tvs, consoles, glasses, watches... Of course there is demand for cheap workforce, and of course there is more demand than ever for skilled workforce. And salaries are going both ways, down and up. Certainly there is people demanding very cheap software engineers and so certainly never has been better paying software jobs. So it's a matter of skilling oneself up, specialising or searching carefully. But I 100% believe there is no better industry to be job searching on our 40s.
- robotkilla 11y ago
  > So it's a matter of skilling oneself up, specialising or searching carefully. But I 100% believe there is no better industry to be job searching on our 40s. I do agree with both of these statements which is why I try to level up on a constant basis. You are correct, apps and closed appliances are definitely the wave of the now, possibly continuing into the future. VR is about to hit the market, video games are going strong, people still think they need phones, and websites are still going strong. So yes tech is a great industry to be in, and what else are you going to do? Swing a hammer? But the more saturated the market gets with developers (and they don't have to be good as long as they're cheap and get the job done fast... something that is harder to do as you get older) the less value guys like myself or you will serve. Sticking with a company and one technology is of course a slow form of career death, but getting strangled out by all the new growth and an abandonment of the old (be that human or technology) is also a very real problem that isn't just going to vanish by cramming knowledge into your brain.