Where will you be at 55?
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I've always figured I'll be programming forever. I believe I represent about 50% of developers in my desire to not ever get into any kind of management. My aspirations are to be more involved in software architecture, but still writing code ... That brings me to the point of this message: There really aren't a lot of developers that I've worked with over the years (16 or so) that were older than about 45 years old. Where did they all go? A portion to management for sure, but what about the rest? Is our era of developers treading territory for which no standard has been set? I'd like to think I still can be a developer in 20 years (I'm 36 now), but I wonder if that's a realistic expectation. Thoughts?
Almost all my developer friends who are in their 40s (like me) continue to be 100% involved in development and have significant technical responsibility (architecture, design and implementation). Of the others, a few have moved on to become CTOs in mid-sized companies and a couple have founded successful software companies. /ravi
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I've always figured I'll be programming forever. I believe I represent about 50% of developers in my desire to not ever get into any kind of management. My aspirations are to be more involved in software architecture, but still writing code ... That brings me to the point of this message: There really aren't a lot of developers that I've worked with over the years (16 or so) that were older than about 45 years old. Where did they all go? A portion to management for sure, but what about the rest? Is our era of developers treading territory for which no standard has been set? I'd like to think I still can be a developer in 20 years (I'm 36 now), but I wonder if that's a realistic expectation. Thoughts?
I got asked this question when I had my interview for my current job, my answer was that I wanted to be the crazy old tech guru who sat in the corner, and was the first person anyone would go to if they had a programming question (and yes, the idea of ending up in a management role where I push paper around and never do any programming really scares me!)
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I've always figured I'll be programming forever. I believe I represent about 50% of developers in my desire to not ever get into any kind of management. My aspirations are to be more involved in software architecture, but still writing code ... That brings me to the point of this message: There really aren't a lot of developers that I've worked with over the years (16 or so) that were older than about 45 years old. Where did they all go? A portion to management for sure, but what about the rest? Is our era of developers treading territory for which no standard has been set? I'd like to think I still can be a developer in 20 years (I'm 36 now), but I wonder if that's a realistic expectation. Thoughts?
Since the software development field really started to become mainstream around 1980 (which is only 27 years ago) and really took off around 1984 it becomes more clear why there are less developers over 45, and even fewer over 50. The people who started in the early 80s are really the first generation of mainstream programmers. And is mostly made up of people in their late 30s to early 40s. Give it another 10 years and you will see many developers over 45. Troy
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I've always figured I'll be programming forever. I believe I represent about 50% of developers in my desire to not ever get into any kind of management. My aspirations are to be more involved in software architecture, but still writing code ... That brings me to the point of this message: There really aren't a lot of developers that I've worked with over the years (16 or so) that were older than about 45 years old. Where did they all go? A portion to management for sure, but what about the rest? Is our era of developers treading territory for which no standard has been set? I'd like to think I still can be a developer in 20 years (I'm 36 now), but I wonder if that's a realistic expectation. Thoughts?
I AM 55. I'm currently R&D manager at a small start-up in Israel. At this point very much hands-on - in other words, still doing development work. I'll probably move more towards higher level development tasks as well as more work with customers, suppliers, and partners. I hope to keep some hands-on however since I like development work. Man, I've run the gamut from mainframes, minis, super-minis, PCs, and microcontrollers. Started out with Fortran, 360 assembler, and PL/1. Today working with C/C++, Java, C#, and lots of other stuff. Learning new things every day. It's still fun.
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I've always figured I'll be programming forever. I believe I represent about 50% of developers in my desire to not ever get into any kind of management. My aspirations are to be more involved in software architecture, but still writing code ... That brings me to the point of this message: There really aren't a lot of developers that I've worked with over the years (16 or so) that were older than about 45 years old. Where did they all go? A portion to management for sure, but what about the rest? Is our era of developers treading territory for which no standard has been set? I'd like to think I still can be a developer in 20 years (I'm 36 now), but I wonder if that's a realistic expectation. Thoughts?
Paul Brower wrote:
Where did they all go?
there probably wasn't many of them to begin with. programming as a profession isn't much more than 50 years old; and as a really popular profession, not more than 25 years. but, i've worked with guys in their 60's, who'd been programming their whole career. so at least some of them are fine with hanging in there, adapting.
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I've always figured I'll be programming forever. I believe I represent about 50% of developers in my desire to not ever get into any kind of management. My aspirations are to be more involved in software architecture, but still writing code ... That brings me to the point of this message: There really aren't a lot of developers that I've worked with over the years (16 or so) that were older than about 45 years old. Where did they all go? A portion to management for sure, but what about the rest? Is our era of developers treading territory for which no standard has been set? I'd like to think I still can be a developer in 20 years (I'm 36 now), but I wonder if that's a realistic expectation. Thoughts?
Paul Brower wrote:
Where will you be at 55?
Dead. When I was 24 my doctor said I'd be dead within 30 years, unless they found some new treatment for the condition that I have.
Upcoming events: * Glasgow Geek Dinner (5th March) * Glasgow: Tell us what you want to see in 2007 My: Website | Blog | Photos
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Paul Brower wrote:
Where will you be at 55?
Dead. When I was 24 my doctor said I'd be dead within 30 years, unless they found some new treatment for the condition that I have.
Upcoming events: * Glasgow Geek Dinner (5th March) * Glasgow: Tell us what you want to see in 2007 My: Website | Blog | Photos
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I've always figured I'll be programming forever. I believe I represent about 50% of developers in my desire to not ever get into any kind of management. My aspirations are to be more involved in software architecture, but still writing code ... That brings me to the point of this message: There really aren't a lot of developers that I've worked with over the years (16 or so) that were older than about 45 years old. Where did they all go? A portion to management for sure, but what about the rest? Is our era of developers treading territory for which no standard has been set? I'd like to think I still can be a developer in 20 years (I'm 36 now), but I wonder if that's a realistic expectation. Thoughts?
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Honestly I hope to be retiring around that age to a little house in Australia.
_________________________________________________________________ Hey! I don't parallel park big brown Econoline vans on the left side of the road!
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That doesn't mean I can't write software for myself from my house in Australia!
_________________________________________________________________ Hey! I don't parallel park big brown Econoline vans on the left side of the road!
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I've always figured I'll be programming forever. I believe I represent about 50% of developers in my desire to not ever get into any kind of management. My aspirations are to be more involved in software architecture, but still writing code ... That brings me to the point of this message: There really aren't a lot of developers that I've worked with over the years (16 or so) that were older than about 45 years old. Where did they all go? A portion to management for sure, but what about the rest? Is our era of developers treading territory for which no standard has been set? I'd like to think I still can be a developer in 20 years (I'm 36 now), but I wonder if that's a realistic expectation. Thoughts?
Get a life! I started programming (professionally) in 1971, and then moved into sales, marketing and general management. I played around with VBA in Word and Excel in the late 1990s, and then when I retired three years ago, I took up programming again. Okay, it took me two months before I managed to draw a bit map on the screen using C++! Even if nobody else agrees, I now believe I am an expert in VB.Net and C#, and am able to develop sophisticated Smart Client applications using OO techniques, agile methods etc etc...... Having had a life outside the technology (and indeed having bought and sold software solutions), I now understand better why developers produce some of the crap they do. Management is not the only career route for developers - why not think about the options that are open to someone who has the skills of a top developer. Then if you want to return to programming, you will be a lot more useful, and, dare I suggest, more fulfilled. The only people who will stand in your way will be the "old fart" programmers who stayed in development and would see you as a threat!
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I've always figured I'll be programming forever. I believe I represent about 50% of developers in my desire to not ever get into any kind of management. My aspirations are to be more involved in software architecture, but still writing code ... That brings me to the point of this message: There really aren't a lot of developers that I've worked with over the years (16 or so) that were older than about 45 years old. Where did they all go? A portion to management for sure, but what about the rest? Is our era of developers treading territory for which no standard has been set? I'd like to think I still can be a developer in 20 years (I'm 36 now), but I wonder if that's a realistic expectation. Thoughts?
Developers retire at 46 (You are counting in hex, right?)
'--8<------------------------ Ex Datis: Duncan Jones Merrion Computing Ltd
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I've always figured I'll be programming forever. I believe I represent about 50% of developers in my desire to not ever get into any kind of management. My aspirations are to be more involved in software architecture, but still writing code ... That brings me to the point of this message: There really aren't a lot of developers that I've worked with over the years (16 or so) that were older than about 45 years old. Where did they all go? A portion to management for sure, but what about the rest? Is our era of developers treading territory for which no standard has been set? I'd like to think I still can be a developer in 20 years (I'm 36 now), but I wonder if that's a realistic expectation. Thoughts?
As others have mentioned, we are indeed charting new territory to a degree since the popular, PC & Internet based industry is still relatively young. I'm 50, and it rocks. As a side note, everything they told you about getting "old" is rubbish. I still code, drive fast cars, play in rock & roll bands and do pretty much as I darned well please. Getting old has more to do with buying into preconceived notions than it does actual options. The reason I mention this is to point out one factor you will most certainly have to deal with at 55: age discrimination. Although I haven't had problems with it, with my background in both the sales and entertainment industries I'm also not the average geek. Most people will have to learn to overcome this. Especially in America, it's a culture of youth. At 30 you're old, at 40 you're over the hill, and at 50 you're officially "old and in the way," and would do the rest of society a big favor if you'd just slip off and shoot yourself so that we don't have to bother with you (not bloody likely in my case! :)). The tech industry is certainly a youth oriented community, so when you're 55 and looking for a gig, you're going to have to not only demonstrate that you're up for the tech side of things, you're going to have to demonstrate that you can hang with the younger members of the team and be one of the guys. You will most certainly encounter predjudice. Discrimination rarely has a basis in fact, but emotions and attitudes are just as much a reality at hiring time. These are certainly things that you can overcome, but if you're not prepared for the battle, you're simply target practice. Discrimination also goes the other way. If you become one of those old guys who has no respect for youth and thinks "kids these days don't know anything," etc. then you deserve to sleep on the streets with the rest of the bums. It's all about the individual. Some people are idiots, some people rock. Age, gender and race are all massively irrelevant in this regard. However, just because that's true doesn't mean many people won't harbor prejudice nonetheless. Just make sure you're not one of them. So, if you want to be coding at 55, more power to you. Just be aware of the fact that human nature is the only true constant in business, and be prepared to fight additional battles as you get older. In the end, if you're a good guy who's enjoyable to work with, and you treat others with the same respect you require for yourself, you can pretty much do anything in life you desire.
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I've always figured I'll be programming forever. I believe I represent about 50% of developers in my desire to not ever get into any kind of management. My aspirations are to be more involved in software architecture, but still writing code ... That brings me to the point of this message: There really aren't a lot of developers that I've worked with over the years (16 or so) that were older than about 45 years old. Where did they all go? A portion to management for sure, but what about the rest? Is our era of developers treading territory for which no standard has been set? I'd like to think I still can be a developer in 20 years (I'm 36 now), but I wonder if that's a realistic expectation. Thoughts?
...they just keep kicking the bit bucket. Marc
People are just notoriously impossible. --DavidCrow
There's NO excuse for not commenting your code. -- John Simmons / outlaw programmer
People who say that they will refactor their code later to make it "good" don't understand refactoring, nor the art and craft of programming. -- Josh Smith -
I've always figured I'll be programming forever. I believe I represent about 50% of developers in my desire to not ever get into any kind of management. My aspirations are to be more involved in software architecture, but still writing code ... That brings me to the point of this message: There really aren't a lot of developers that I've worked with over the years (16 or so) that were older than about 45 years old. Where did they all go? A portion to management for sure, but what about the rest? Is our era of developers treading territory for which no standard has been set? I'd like to think I still can be a developer in 20 years (I'm 36 now), but I wonder if that's a realistic expectation. Thoughts?
Paul Brower wrote:
I've always figured I'll be programming forever.
I'll be programming 'till the day I die... which hopefully will be past 55, I probably have more hope for that than Colin, but I too was told I lost about 20-30 years off my life during my hospitalization. So unless I got my great-grandfather's gene's (lived to 98.5) instead of my father's (died in his early 60's), I'll be following Colin at around 60+-.
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
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Paul Brower wrote:
I've always figured I'll be programming forever.
I'll be programming 'till the day I die... which hopefully will be past 55, I probably have more hope for that than Colin, but I too was told I lost about 20-30 years off my life during my hospitalization. So unless I got my great-grandfather's gene's (lived to 98.5) instead of my father's (died in his early 60's), I'll be following Colin at around 60+-.
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
Well, just remember what Indiana Jones said. It's not the years. It's the mileage. :)
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
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Paul Brower wrote:
Where will you be at 55?
Dead. When I was 24 my doctor said I'd be dead within 30 years, unless they found some new treatment for the condition that I have.
Upcoming events: * Glasgow Geek Dinner (5th March) * Glasgow: Tell us what you want to see in 2007 My: Website | Blog | Photos
Colin Angus Mackay wrote:
unless they found some new treatment for the condition
I hope they do. I've accepted mine since my illness, clean living and healthy habits will extend mine, but there is no cure because it is simply a function of age now. I damaged some of my internal organs in a major infection, lived to tell the tale but cut years off my end-date. I hope they find a cure so you can find the years I lost. :)
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
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Well, just remember what Indiana Jones said. It's not the years. It's the mileage. :)
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
Christopher Duncan wrote:
It's the mileage.
I have had some mileage, that is for sure! :) Interesting enough, I have had more "mileage" in doing things in my life after my hospitalization. :)
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
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Christopher Duncan wrote:
It's the mileage.
I have had some mileage, that is for sure! :) Interesting enough, I have had more "mileage" in doing things in my life after my hospitalization. :)
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
Yep. Most limitations are only in the mind!
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com