pims

Hello,

I'm a software engineer, late thirties, 12 years of experience. Interesting job in a good company, salary a bit below market average but still in the top paying jobs in my country (France).

I love programming itself, am decent at it and want to keep doing it. I have no interest in taking on any kind of managerial role and don't have the brain for it anyway.

So where I'm worried is the continuation and eventual end of my career. A whole bunch of factors will come into play: my age, an growing pool of software engineers, a change or drop in demand, etc. In short, I don't know how hard it will be to find and keep a job as an individual contributor or tech lead when I reach my forties and fifties.

To people who feel the same, or are already at these later stages of their career, would you have any tips on how to prepare for it? Things I have in mind are going for better paying jobs to help a potential early retirement, honing my skills in specific and timeless technologies (e.g. SQL), or even getting ready for a radical career change.

Any insights appreciated!