Senior Developers Are Getting Rejected for Jobs
In a little over a month, I&#x27;ll be turning 46. I&#x27;ve been doing software development professionally since I was 18. I have no formal education in it, except for a couple classes taken at a CC for C++.<p>Between hearing things like this, the way the internet is going, the way cell phones are becoming more closed up and walled in...just everything about the way the world is going...<p>...I honestly am beginning to think my best course of action would be to (somehow) change jobs entirely, move out to the middle of nowhere on 40 acres, drop off the internet, build my own cellphone (which I&#x27;ve mentioned), and just go back to hacking on my TRS-80 Color Computer. If I ever accessed the internet again, it would only be for email and maybe the occasional &quot;telnet BBS&quot; - and that would only be after a 50 mile drive into &quot;town&quot;.<p>While I know and understand that despite 25+ years of experience I may not be at the same level as others with fewer years, that time should count for something. In my case, what I lack mostly has been any sort of opportunity for a &quot;management&quot; role; I have never been a team lead, for instance. It pains me. It does nothing for my self-esteem as a software engineer.<p>But that shouldn&#x27;t count against me. Nor should being able to solve some rando problem concocted as a gatekeeper. I&#x27;ve worked at places for short periods, and I&#x27;ve stuck around at places far longer than I should have. But lately things have been hovering around jumping at 3 years, and that time seems to be coming up for me at my current place of employment.<p>The thing is - I don&#x27;t want to leave. I like it where I&#x27;m at. I enjoy the problems. I enjoy my coworkers. I enjoy the development environment. But more often than not, it seems, outside forces seem to conspire to kick me out whether I want to go or not.<p>Maybe I&#x27;ll get lucky once more and land a new position. Maybe I can use the fledgling skills I have in ML in some manner. Or I might have to drop my salary requirements down and take something lesser, just to stay employed?<p>But at some point in the future - the near future - it feels like it won&#x27;t matter what I do or don&#x27;t do, I won&#x27;t be allowed to &quot;make the cut&quot; any longer.<p>Thank $DEITY I have no debt other than my mortgage...