[Google programmer’s answer] Is there life after 35-40 years? (for software developer)

Jeff Nelson came up with a Chromebook, #Xoogler.



I think this question should be divided into three different questions or formulated differently. Let's divide it like this:

1. Is the age attribute decisive in the programmer's career?
2. Shouldn't I think about a career as a technical manager instead of a hired professional?
3. Is improving yourself as a software developer a dead-end career option?

It is unlikely that anyone will deny that the industry does not pay attention to the age of the employee. View at least the average age of new employees hired in Silicon Valley companies. I suspect that many, if not all, are much younger than thirty. At the same time, this does not at all mean that some kind of official corporate setting is in effect not to hire candidates older than a certain age, a certain gender, sexual orientation or depending on other signs.

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The reasons for which the age trend is observed in the computer industry are diverse and do not indicate the existence of some kind of conspiracy not to hire older employees. First, some companies believe that it is easiest to recruit new employees from graduates of top universities (Massachusetts Institute, Stanford, etc.). Recent graduates are cheap. They have a stable level of training. They have no negative experience in other companies. They are like a clean slate, so to some extent they are easier to teach corporate culture, software development methodologies, advanced technologies and combine with the same graduates to work on a new startup.



Although I do not think that someone in Silicon Valley will argue that a candidate with three years of solid programming experience in a core technology environment, and even with a diploma from a prestigious university, would also be a good option if not the best. I even allow myself to say that with all other things being equal, work experience is of decisive importance, provided that it corresponds to the field of activity of the company.



The myth that technologies are changing too quickly for the skills of programmers to remain relevant may have been a place once, but the basic technologies on which the network is built have been with us for several decades. The C programming language appeared in the late 1970s, more than forty years ago. The Javascript language, as it is now, first appeared in 1997, 20 years ago. It turns out that there are programmers of pre-retirement age, whose career for several decades has been based on working with the C language and Unix servers. Nevertheless, there are not so many programmers of this level, with such experience and experience, and I doubt that someone would call a 22-year-old graduate a better candidate than a 60-year-old with experience in working with these technologies for more than 40 years. Yes, such shots are rare.



Therefore, returning to the question, I do not think that working in the field of software is hopeless from a career point of view. But it is worth noting that, after several years, it actually reaches a certain limit in relation to wages. This is partly due to the fact that programmers are a mass product. If you are not a very distinguished developer, you will always be easily replaced with another. I think that is why the salaries of programmers are to some extent lower than those of specialists in other competitive industries. At the same time, it is almost safe to guarantee that demand for programmers exceeds demand, including from universities, so you will always have a job. True, you will not get those sweet 10% salary increments every following year, only the first two or three years.



And finally, with regard to the fact that the managerial position is better, I wonder, why should only this opportunity be considered? After all, there are other career opportunities that you can choose. You can turn to a different field of programming. For example, many developers who are not satisfied with product creation move to other responsibilities, often in the same company, to operational issues, to product or project management, quality control, or to something less technical, such as sales and general management. I also have friends who have completely changed the scope of their activities, for example, began to work as full-time teachers.



Summing up, I would say that I really appreciate when the manager I work with has a confident experience in software development, especially if it coincides with the technology area of ​​the company, so don’t be in a hurry to start a manager career in a technology company. For the sake of those of us who will have to work with you in the future, gain 5-6 years of experience as an ordinary employee. Learn how the industry works from the perspective of those who create it. And only then consider the option of a career manager. You do not hire a florist to build the Brooklyn Bridge. Do not hire a technical manager who has not repaid his programming skills.

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The translation was made with the support of the EDISON Software company, which is professionally engaged in the development of web applications and websites , as well as the development of Android and iOS mobile applications for large customers.

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