older devs had to go into management to keep their career trajectory, no matter whether they liked coding or management more. the ones that failed in some way - meaning a disruption in their spending and earning capability - are the only ones on the market trying to get programming jobs, and complaining about it.
fixing the earning trajectory in a programming track helps fix this outcome too. FAANG companies seem to have figured it out for people they've already hired.
> older devs had to go into management to keep their career trajectory ... FAANG companies seem to have figured it out for people they've already hired.
The FAANG companies and other technology platform companies have separate technical and management career tracks. Only those who want to be managers become managers.
In theory, yes. In practice, no. At a certain point, a lot of engineers plateau in terms of technical ability and are unable to continue to level up. For many, they feel compelled to switch tracks to management to continue to make progress, regardless of whether they have any innate ability or desire to excel at management.
or they fall for the money-making scam, where their new car payment is now the same amount as their rent originally was when they began their careers. Buying larger houses, etc. Basically always barely acclimating to their new level of wealth, so that they always try to climb up the next rung.
I recently quit a job that was advertised as a developer but turned into 90% paperwork. Lasted over a year (it was contractor anyway). But in hindsight, basically NO amount of money would make me happy or willing to fill out forms all day. Seriously, even another $100k wouldn't make me feel any better, I'd still be miserable and not doing what I love.
>...they feel compelled to switch tracks to management to continue to make progress, regardless of whether they have any innate ability or desire to excel at management.
Can confirm: Once you "plateau" in a division, the only options are lateralling to a technology you don't know (with the same expectations exacted upon you) or simply going management and that assumes that there's room in management.
Given how frequently "organisational shifts/changes" occur, that could leave you out in the cold, just as well.
My company does explicitly say that certain levels, roughly equivalent to a staff engineer at most companies, will likely be a career level (as in, you will never advance beyond it) for many people that level still pays very well - easily in the 200-300 TC range maybe more. As long as companies are okay with developers being at this level for a long time - perhaps even decades - I'm fine with it. The only thing that would bother me is an "up or out" kind of culture, that prioritizes "velocity". Fortunately I think more and more companies are getting comfortable with developers that they no will never progress beyond a senior developer role.
I wonder how much the transition to management helps nowadays. I have a few friends who did that, lost a lot of technical relevance and have had a terrible time finding new jobs as many places promote from within.
If you live anywhere besides the west coast in a major city and have 7-10 years of experience you can easily make $130K as a senior developer. That puts you right at the 5th quintile of household income.
If your spouse is making even $50K that puts you in the top decile.
Vs just sucking it up and doing your own hacking on the own time. Even if you write code all day at work, you should be doing some at home, because we need to keep up on the latest tech in a risk-tolerant environment (like personal projects that can fail with no loss). Companies can't afford to take on the project risk of leading edge/research level tech.
So hack on the cool stuff at home. Treat your job as a job. There's no principal broken by going into management.
Like I said in another post, I just bought a 5 bedroom/3-1/2 bath house, 3000+ square foot house with a large office for $330K two years ago in the northern burbs of Atlanta where the school systems are ranked in the top 15% nationwide. It is the most affluent county in GA and one of the fastest growing in the nation. Three exits down the same size house is going for about $450K and you’re in one of the 10 most affluent cities in the nation -Johns Creek GA. (http://money.com/money/collection-post/4504851/richest-towns...)
Vs just sucking it up and doing your own hacking on the own time. Even if you write code all day at work, you should be doing some at home, because we need to keep up on the latest tech in a risk-tolerant environment (like personal projects that can fail with no loss). Companies can't afford to take on the project risk of leading edge/research level tech.
When I’m at home, I’m exercising, spending time with my wife and son, and just relaxing. If I can’t keep up with the latest tech at work, it’s time to change jobs.
Yes I will do work related side projects to learn a new to me technology, or proof of concepts with newer technology that aren’t on the critical path. I also work at small companies where I do get my hands dirty with everything from the front end to playing around with whatever I want to with a DEV AWS Account.
I don’t do “leading edge technology”. They are probably not widely marketable yet. I stay on the far end of “the slope of enlightenment” going to “Plateau of Productivity” of the Hype Cycle.
My commute is 30-40 minutes a day on the three days a week I actually have to go into the office. Any job I work I make sure the “core hours” allow me to go into work after traffic dies down and leave before traffic picks up.
How do you think the other 80% of households survive that aren’t making the $130K that an average developer can make in any large city or if you’re a dual income earner with your spouse making about the average of a college educated worker of $50K - how do you think the other 90% of households make it?
But then again, I am also of the opinion that the school you go to doesn’t have as much bearing on your later success in life - as long as it safe and teaching the basics - your home environment.
I look at the top 20 students who went to my (relatively poor performing school) and we were all teacher’s kids or doctor’s kids. There are two doctors, a few teachers, one professor at an Ivey league school, and a lawyer or two.
But my current job is also in the northern burbs where I live.
yes, money. life changes that required more money to maintain their current or desired standard of living. expectation of life changes that required more money to maintain their current or desired standard of living. expectation of generational wealth if their inheritance or lack thereof doesn't already accomplish that for them.
did I really need to spell that out? I know some people can't relate, but its not clear to me how much they can't relate
older devs had to go into management to keep their career trajectory, no matter whether they liked coding or management more. the ones that failed in some way - meaning a disruption in their spending and earning capability - are the only ones on the market trying to get programming jobs, and complaining about it.
fixing the earning trajectory in a programming track helps fix this outcome too. FAANG companies seem to have figured it out for people they've already hired.