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Comment by Latteland | Hacker News Reader

How old do you have to be to reach the red line? The key is to keep doing technical stuff, avoid being management overhead. Why couldn't he say he was a cobol developer and learn how to do that for free over the internet?

I'm still at least moderately technical. a couple of years ago went to switch jobs and got 4 offers. I'm 50+ in Seattle, so there is some good tech going on here. I'm not the ceo, I'm not a distinguished engineer, but I can do some stuff.

Don't give up - find something technical. Avoid being just a a manager. It's easy to fall into that trap of no tech because it happens to a lot of us, that technical fire runs out after a while.

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Depends on where. In Vancouver, I twice put my own job on the line to vouch for the desirability of hiring older men. One was 56, the other in his mid-fourties. If I hadn't then neither would have got the job; and their ability to do the work was never in question.

If we get any older people (e.g. fuckton of years of experience) that want to work for what we are offering, you better believe I’ll jump at the chance.

I’ve come to firmly believe that the fastest way to solving a problem is having solved it before.

Experience brings value to the company. If the skill set matches what is needed, the added experience will manifest itself compared to software developers with only 5 years of experience. That experience cost money. I'm not saying you don't give reasonable offers.

Fortunately (or unfortunately?) I don’t make the offers, I just decide if they’re technically competent enough.

At least in Japan I believe the offers to be fairly competetive as well (top 30% ish).

I kind of agree with the ambivalence about being a manager, but why the focus on being technical? Why not move into e.g. product management?

I think it has to do with the idea that technical skills are more transferable than product management and that there are more job openings for technical roles than management roles.

Yes, that's exactly right - technical skills are more valuable in the market and transfer across companies. The things I've learned as an architect for a big team and a manager are also transferrable but there aren't as many people who can do that and still do technical implementation and design.

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