Skip to content
  • Categories
  • Recent
  • Tags
  • Popular
  • World
  • Users
  • Groups
Skins
  • Light
  • Cerulean
  • Cosmo
  • Flatly
  • Journal
  • Litera
  • Lumen
  • Lux
  • Materia
  • Minty
  • Morph
  • Pulse
  • Sandstone
  • Simplex
  • Sketchy
  • Spacelab
  • United
  • Yeti
  • Zephyr
  • Dark
  • Cyborg
  • Darkly
  • Quartz
  • Slate
  • Solar
  • Superhero
  • Vapor

  • Default (No Skin)
  • No Skin
Collapse
Code Project
  1. Home
  2. The Lounge
  3. How did you overcome this obstacle ?

How did you overcome this obstacle ?

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved The Lounge
toolsquestion
39 Posts 32 Posters 0 Views 1 Watching
  • Oldest to Newest
  • Newest to Oldest
  • Most Votes
Reply
  • Reply as topic
Log in to reply
This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
  • V virang_21

    Thinking about this article https://thenewstack.io/challenging-the-myth-that-programming-careers-end-at-40/\[[^](https://thenewstack.io/challenging-the-myth-that-programming-careers-end-at-40/)\] and lot of voices here echo just doing development work for decades but one thing that I am curious about is how do you manage getting $$$ amount that align to your skill set. Programming jobs by and large has celling on how much you can make doing certain things. You can know number of tools and tech but still there is a limit to what you can make unless you are a wiz working at top tier company. How did you overcome this obstacle?

    Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.

    S Offline
    S Offline
    Slow Eddie
    wrote on last edited by
    #26

    How much you get paid is based on what it would cost to find someone else to do the job as well.

    Supply and demand. Not just an economic theory, it's a Law.

    1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • V virang_21

      Thinking about this article https://thenewstack.io/challenging-the-myth-that-programming-careers-end-at-40/\[[^](https://thenewstack.io/challenging-the-myth-that-programming-careers-end-at-40/)\] and lot of voices here echo just doing development work for decades but one thing that I am curious about is how do you manage getting $$$ amount that align to your skill set. Programming jobs by and large has celling on how much you can make doing certain things. You can know number of tools and tech but still there is a limit to what you can make unless you are a wiz working at top tier company. How did you overcome this obstacle?

      Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.

      K Offline
      K Offline
      Kirk 10389821
      wrote on last edited by
      #27

      First, I only work because it affords me 2 Luxuries I've grown Accustomed to: 1) Living Indoors 2) Food So, given that. Yeah, you either manage teams, or manage more people. You slowly become a lead. The real question is "Are you chasing $$$ or is it a career/lifestyle?" As I am over 50, I am at the point where I don't have to do most of the programming, and I am happy for that. I would rather design the system at a higher level, and push the developers to grow! Honestly, I am learning PostgreSQL right now. It's been a lot of fun. But I am mentally SHOT at the end of the day UNLIKE when I was 20-30 years younger. My raw CPU power is lower. So, capitalism works best when EVERYONE is seeking their own values... Find what you value, and go for it. In the end, WEALTH comes from starting your own business, and hiring others. Otherwise, you get a salary, and you MIGHT get some stock options (I've had 3 sets effectively expire worthless).

      1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • V virang_21

        Thinking about this article https://thenewstack.io/challenging-the-myth-that-programming-careers-end-at-40/\[[^](https://thenewstack.io/challenging-the-myth-that-programming-careers-end-at-40/)\] and lot of voices here echo just doing development work for decades but one thing that I am curious about is how do you manage getting $$$ amount that align to your skill set. Programming jobs by and large has celling on how much you can make doing certain things. You can know number of tools and tech but still there is a limit to what you can make unless you are a wiz working at top tier company. How did you overcome this obstacle?

        Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.

        G Offline
        G Offline
        Gary Wheeler
        wrote on last edited by
        #28

        It's not an obstacle, other than for yourself. The simple truth is you will eventually rise to a level of compensation commensurate with your skills and experience and the local job market. In my case, I hit the peak salary for my area over 20 years ago. Over time you find that there are intangible compensations that come with age and experience. I don't have people looking over my shoulder. If I have to report a problem or a delay in completing a task, I don't get yelled at over it. My supervision (who is 20 years younger than me) trusts me to be honest, which I am. Actually, that's important. With age and experience, you worry less about consequences and feel far more confident in being forthright and honest. When I was younger and a project was running behind or an idea wasn't working out, I felt intimidated and fearful about going to my boss and explaining. Now, if something is a bad idea and won't end well, I say so. If I have a better idea, I'll express it. I give reasonable schedules, most of which I meet pretty well. When I'm not meeting a schedule, I tell my boss as soon as I realize it so he can plan accordingly. Fortunately my boss and his predecessor both viewed a large part of their job as herding cats insulating their team from the worst ravages of the Forces of Evil salesĀ & marketing. The more accurate information I give him, the better he can do this part of his job.

        Software Zen: delete this;

        1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • V virang_21

          Thinking about this article https://thenewstack.io/challenging-the-myth-that-programming-careers-end-at-40/\[[^](https://thenewstack.io/challenging-the-myth-that-programming-careers-end-at-40/)\] and lot of voices here echo just doing development work for decades but one thing that I am curious about is how do you manage getting $$$ amount that align to your skill set. Programming jobs by and large has celling on how much you can make doing certain things. You can know number of tools and tech but still there is a limit to what you can make unless you are a wiz working at top tier company. How did you overcome this obstacle?

          Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.

          A Offline
          A Offline
          agolddog
          wrote on last edited by
          #29

          If I understand the premise correctly, by not seeing it as an obstacle. Have a simple lifestyle, which suits me. When I was still working, I couldn't spend the money I made developing software. I was probably a bit better than average, but certainly not an all-star developer. I have the advantage of being in USA#n. I can't speak for salaries in ROW.

          1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • V virang_21

            Thinking about this article https://thenewstack.io/challenging-the-myth-that-programming-careers-end-at-40/\[[^](https://thenewstack.io/challenging-the-myth-that-programming-careers-end-at-40/)\] and lot of voices here echo just doing development work for decades but one thing that I am curious about is how do you manage getting $$$ amount that align to your skill set. Programming jobs by and large has celling on how much you can make doing certain things. You can know number of tools and tech but still there is a limit to what you can make unless you are a wiz working at top tier company. How did you overcome this obstacle?

            Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.

            W Offline
            W Offline
            WPerkins
            wrote on last edited by
            #30

            I'll be 66 in July, currently a systems designer. Other than the four months of COVID shutdown I have not been out of work - other than taking time off for travel - since I got out of school in the mid 1980s. There is no real "obstacle" IF you have kept your skills up (there is not much call for FORTRAN programmers). AND IF your are willing to work (there is always a place for do-nothing managers but they are never hired as such). AND IF you like what you do (being miserable at work because you don't like what you do is just plain dumb). Do not let someone sell you on this idea "it ends at 40". Maybe it did for them, maybe they should have been selling insurance from the beginning not doing IT.

            C 1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • V virang_21

              Thinking about this article https://thenewstack.io/challenging-the-myth-that-programming-careers-end-at-40/\[[^](https://thenewstack.io/challenging-the-myth-that-programming-careers-end-at-40/)\] and lot of voices here echo just doing development work for decades but one thing that I am curious about is how do you manage getting $$$ amount that align to your skill set. Programming jobs by and large has celling on how much you can make doing certain things. You can know number of tools and tech but still there is a limit to what you can make unless you are a wiz working at top tier company. How did you overcome this obstacle?

              Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.

              M Offline
              M Offline
              Matt McGuire
              wrote on last edited by
              #31

              You find your comfortable spot. My income for the area I live in brings me to about upper(ish) middle income, but if I moved to somewhere like Seattle, I would be low middle income at best. Since I have no want or desire to live in a big city, this works great for me. Being 45 now (25 years professionally writing software), I'm more concerned about growing my retirement packages and as keep the best health care package I can find. I've had job offers in the last couple years that would move me out of this, but grow my career, and I've declined those offers because at the end of the day, it just wasn't worth it. As far as the skill set goes: some of the languages, OS API's, most of the tooling, and all of the frameworks/libraries learned in my early career are no longer in use, and don't have much of a bonus on a CV, I could put down that I was writing graphic print drivers for HP printers to work with DOS applications, or use dbase 1 databases, but no one cares anymore about that stuff, it's fringe work at best.

              1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • V virang_21

                Thinking about this article https://thenewstack.io/challenging-the-myth-that-programming-careers-end-at-40/\[[^](https://thenewstack.io/challenging-the-myth-that-programming-careers-end-at-40/)\] and lot of voices here echo just doing development work for decades but one thing that I am curious about is how do you manage getting $$$ amount that align to your skill set. Programming jobs by and large has celling on how much you can make doing certain things. You can know number of tools and tech but still there is a limit to what you can make unless you are a wiz working at top tier company. How did you overcome this obstacle?

                Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.

                S Offline
                S Offline
                Steve Naidamast
                wrote on last edited by
                #32

                Don't even think that you will make it into your 60s with the current trends in IT. Ageism in our profession is considered one of the worst in all US industries, considering that a majority of IT trends today are made up fantasies by people looking to make a name for themselves. If I were you, I would look to strike out on your own into consulting, commercial software development, teaching, or writing. After 42+ years in the profession I retired at 64. I could have continued but I was simply fed up with the hypocritical bullshit from management...

                Steve Naidamast Sr. Software Engineer Black Falcon Software, Inc. blackfalconsoftware@outlook.com

                1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • W WPerkins

                  I'll be 66 in July, currently a systems designer. Other than the four months of COVID shutdown I have not been out of work - other than taking time off for travel - since I got out of school in the mid 1980s. There is no real "obstacle" IF you have kept your skills up (there is not much call for FORTRAN programmers). AND IF your are willing to work (there is always a place for do-nothing managers but they are never hired as such). AND IF you like what you do (being miserable at work because you don't like what you do is just plain dumb). Do not let someone sell you on this idea "it ends at 40". Maybe it did for them, maybe they should have been selling insurance from the beginning not doing IT.

                  C Offline
                  C Offline
                  CHill60
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #33

                  Completely agree! I'm also in my 60's and the only time I couldn't get work was really early in my career during a massive unemployment crisis (if you have heard the UB40 song "One in Ten", I was one of the one in ten!) In fact, just after I turned 40 I sought out a new job, in a skill set I was completely ignorant of, for much higher pay and a much nicer company car. Within 3 years I had doubled my income from my previous job. So I overcame the (non-existent) problem through hard work, picking up new skills all the time and generally making myself useful and not resting on my laurels

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • S Slacker007

                    virang_21 wrote:

                    How did you overcome this obstacle?

                    remote - contractor (7 years now for me). you will never be paid what you are worth if you continue to work for an employer as a regular full time employee. You must go independent contractor, which is almost always remote (work from home). Granted, I don't get paid time off, only sick leave, so that adds an extra $32K to the salary, which is great. Pro tip: ALWAYS get a 5-8K+ pay increase when starting a new job. NEVER take the same pay as your last job. Pro tip: NEVER specialize in a technology that is not in demand. ALWAYS keep your skill set current. I jumped jobs every 2 years for a while till I was making a competitive salary and before I went independent contractor. your goal is to be making 130K+ by the time you hit 12-15 years in the business; sooner if you are lucky. :java:

                    L Offline
                    L Offline
                    LucidDev
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #34

                    I got laid off 30 years ago at the age of 41 and could not find a job to save my life, even though I lived in Silicon Valley. As a result, I went into independent consulting. No one would hire a consultant on a 1099, so I incorporated (C-corp). This became very lucrative until the downturn in the economy circa 2011. As a result I decided to retire shortly thereafter when I turned 62. The nice thing about a C-corp is that you can virtually deduct everything, including health care and contributions to retirement plans, etc. My monthly salary was held to a minimum, thus reducing my taxes. The only downside was that I contributing less to my Social Security, which makes my retirement check less. I estimate the corporation made up to $191K a year prior to my retirement 10 years ago. In my opinion, it is difficult to get a "real" job after you turn 40, but that doesn't mean it's the end of your career.

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • S Slacker007

                      virang_21 wrote:

                      How did you overcome this obstacle?

                      remote - contractor (7 years now for me). you will never be paid what you are worth if you continue to work for an employer as a regular full time employee. You must go independent contractor, which is almost always remote (work from home). Granted, I don't get paid time off, only sick leave, so that adds an extra $32K to the salary, which is great. Pro tip: ALWAYS get a 5-8K+ pay increase when starting a new job. NEVER take the same pay as your last job. Pro tip: NEVER specialize in a technology that is not in demand. ALWAYS keep your skill set current. I jumped jobs every 2 years for a while till I was making a competitive salary and before I went independent contractor. your goal is to be making 130K+ by the time you hit 12-15 years in the business; sooner if you are lucky. :java:

                      D Offline
                      D Offline
                      dandy72
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #35

                      Slacker007 wrote:

                      Pro tip: ALWAYS get a 5-8K+ pay increase when starting a new job. NEVER take the same pay as your last job.

                      I'm terrible when it comes to putting a number together. What I've always done is state upfront what I was making at my last job, but if they decide to keep me after 3 months, I'm expecting a healthy raise. Maybe it's just me, but that approach has always worked out. Not that I'm job-hopping--at the age of 49, I've only gone through the hiring process 3 times in my life (well, in my career as a software developer).

                      Slacker007 wrote:

                      Pro tip: NEVER specialize in a technology that is not in demand. ALWAYS keep your skill set current.

                      At the same time, don't confuse "in demand" with "common". If you have a skillset that nobody else has, *and* you have someone with the need, you can ask for just about anything you want.

                      S 1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • D dandy72

                        Slacker007 wrote:

                        Pro tip: ALWAYS get a 5-8K+ pay increase when starting a new job. NEVER take the same pay as your last job.

                        I'm terrible when it comes to putting a number together. What I've always done is state upfront what I was making at my last job, but if they decide to keep me after 3 months, I'm expecting a healthy raise. Maybe it's just me, but that approach has always worked out. Not that I'm job-hopping--at the age of 49, I've only gone through the hiring process 3 times in my life (well, in my career as a software developer).

                        Slacker007 wrote:

                        Pro tip: NEVER specialize in a technology that is not in demand. ALWAYS keep your skill set current.

                        At the same time, don't confuse "in demand" with "common". If you have a skillset that nobody else has, *and* you have someone with the need, you can ask for just about anything you want.

                        S Offline
                        S Offline
                        Slacker007
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #36

                        I'm 49 years old. I only posted what worked for me. Obviously, everyone else's life situation will be different.

                        D 1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • V virang_21

                          Thinking about this article https://thenewstack.io/challenging-the-myth-that-programming-careers-end-at-40/\[[^](https://thenewstack.io/challenging-the-myth-that-programming-careers-end-at-40/)\] and lot of voices here echo just doing development work for decades but one thing that I am curious about is how do you manage getting $$$ amount that align to your skill set. Programming jobs by and large has celling on how much you can make doing certain things. You can know number of tools and tech but still there is a limit to what you can make unless you are a wiz working at top tier company. How did you overcome this obstacle?

                          Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.

                          J Offline
                          J Offline
                          Josh Gray2
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #37

                          Knowing more tools and more tech doesn't necessarily relate to making your employer significantly more profit, you might produce less bugs and be slightly more efficient than someone with less experience but it doesn't scale well, they can easily just hire 5 grads instead of giving you 5 times your current salary. Working in financial markets is one place where your coding efforts can have significant impact on a company's bottom line and where the rewards can scale accordingly. Honestly, if you're not a 'wiz' and adding multiple times your peers to the bottom line why would you expect to be further rewarded for experience or years of service to the company or industry? It is fine to plateau.

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • S Slacker007

                            I'm 49 years old. I only posted what worked for me. Obviously, everyone else's life situation will be different.

                            D Offline
                            D Offline
                            dandy72
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #38

                            Exactly. There's no one-size-fits-all solution. I just wanted to add my own perspective. There's no wrong or right.

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • V virang_21

                              Thinking about this article https://thenewstack.io/challenging-the-myth-that-programming-careers-end-at-40/\[[^](https://thenewstack.io/challenging-the-myth-that-programming-careers-end-at-40/)\] and lot of voices here echo just doing development work for decades but one thing that I am curious about is how do you manage getting $$$ amount that align to your skill set. Programming jobs by and large has celling on how much you can make doing certain things. You can know number of tools and tech but still there is a limit to what you can make unless you are a wiz working at top tier company. How did you overcome this obstacle?

                              Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.

                              N Offline
                              N Offline
                              nobody158
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #39

                              I still have years to go but am going to end up in management probably replacing my boss when he retires in a couple of years. We are a small shop so he still gets to program sometimes and that's what I am hoping for.

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              Reply
                              • Reply as topic
                              Log in to reply
                              • Oldest to Newest
                              • Newest to Oldest
                              • Most Votes


                              • Login

                              • Don't have an account? Register

                              • Login or register to search.
                              • First post
                                Last post
                              0
                              • Categories
                              • Recent
                              • Tags
                              • Popular
                              • World
                              • Users
                              • Groups