In what occupations, niches, roles can a software developer work when he is 90 years old?

The name of the pictureThe name of the pictureThe name of the pictureClash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP





.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty margin-bottom:0;







up vote
0
down vote

favorite












I'm about 40 years old and I'm a software developer (with focus on Java). I was told that in my region (German-speaking Europe) companies stop hire people when they turn 45.



I don't believe in public pension system and assume that in order to survive when I'm old, I'll need to work until I die. It's doable because one of my ancestors also worked in an intellectually challenging job until the age of 89.



I intend to use the time until I'm 45 in order to acquire resources that will allow me to earn enough money in a role where I can continue working as long as I perform (not when some HR bureaucrats think I'm young enough).



In what occupations, niches, or roles can a 45+ person work without being discriminated because of his age?



Ideally, this niche should allow me to work remotely because I want to setle down in a rural region when I'm old. Both being an employee and a contractor is an option for me.



Below you can find my ideas on how this can be achieved. Feel free to criticize them (if one of them is terribly wrong, please tell). Note that these options are not mutually exclusive (I may use several of them at the same time).



Option 1: Pick a niche where the demand is likely to be so high that employers/customers will hire by merit



I assume that the rule "We don't hire anyone over 45" applies only, if the company doesn't need that developer badly enough. Let's say a company offers a job, and 100 qualified people stand in line for an interview. In this case, they can be picky and only hire young people.



If, on the other hand, the demand for that particular skill set is so high that their recruiters have to hunt down qualified candidates (it's recruiters who court the qualified candidates, not the other way round), then the age may be a lesser problem.



Hence, part of the solution is to



  • pick a niche where the demand is likely to stay high in the coming years and

  • establish myself as an expert in this niche (learn the technology and create proofs of my skills like a portfolio).

I have most experience with Java. I don't think I can work in Java when I'm old (see also Option 2 below for an additional reason). So I need to pick another niche.



So far I think that frontend development with JavaScript or one of its subniches (like React or Angular.JS) may have a consistent demand during the years to come (more than Java does).



Why?



It's primarily medium and large corporations that need Java developers. These companies also have the age-discriminating HR gatekeepers.



In contrast, anyone, from a Fortune 500 corporation to a mom-and-pop internet store needs a developer who can make their web site work properly (frontend development). I assume that smaller companies care less about my age, especially, if I work for them as a freelancer.



Another reason in favor of frontend tech: Java is an established, mature technology. There are solutions for the majority of problems.



Frontend technology, on the other hand, changes rapidly and there is a lot of chaos in this sphere. In the frontend world I can deliver an additional value to the customer by helping them orient in that chaos. For example, I could blog about which technology in 2018 you should use for task X and why. Such a blog post would a) help the potential customer make a technical decision and b) promote me as an expert. In 2019 I would write another article with the same topic and it is very likely that the contents will be different (because by then the advice from 2018 would have become obsolete).



Option 2: Pick a niche in which employers/customers are used to remote work



As I said, when I'm old I want to settle down in a small village. Most companies that use Java are located in big cities and, according to my experience with German-speaking companies, 99 % of them don't like remote work (I know that in other cultures, e. g. in US, remote work is much more widespread).



My impression is that there are more frontend-related remote jobs (including freelance) than Java-related.



Therefore I could increase my chances of finding employers/customers by focusing on niches populated by more remote-friendly companies.



Note: I don't consider working for US companies remotely because of the time difference. Correct me, if I'm wrong (i. e. if you know someone in the US who successfully works with a remote developer in Europe without them both being online simultaneously for 6+ hours per day).



Option 3: Become a superconnector



This approach focuses on expanding my network. For example, if I



  • contribute something valuable to a promising open-source project,

  • write a valuable blog post, or

  • translate some material from English to German,

I'm likely to get to know new people. The more people I know, the easier it is to provide value to them by connecting two people who may be useful to each other. The more such favors I do, the more likely people will want to respond in kind and help me get jobs (or get past the age-discriminating gatekeepers).



If these efforts go really well, I may found something like a virtual user group where I would regularly hold free webinars (e. g. on topics in frontend development), provide value for the customers, and position myself as an expert (which again increases the likelihood of getting hired). This would also increase my attractiveness to potential customers despite my age.






retirement






share







New contributor




Franz Drollig is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

























    up vote
    0
    down vote

    favorite












    I'm about 40 years old and I'm a software developer (with focus on Java). I was told that in my region (German-speaking Europe) companies stop hire people when they turn 45.



    I don't believe in public pension system and assume that in order to survive when I'm old, I'll need to work until I die. It's doable because one of my ancestors also worked in an intellectually challenging job until the age of 89.



    I intend to use the time until I'm 45 in order to acquire resources that will allow me to earn enough money in a role where I can continue working as long as I perform (not when some HR bureaucrats think I'm young enough).



    In what occupations, niches, or roles can a 45+ person work without being discriminated because of his age?



    Ideally, this niche should allow me to work remotely because I want to setle down in a rural region when I'm old. Both being an employee and a contractor is an option for me.



    Below you can find my ideas on how this can be achieved. Feel free to criticize them (if one of them is terribly wrong, please tell). Note that these options are not mutually exclusive (I may use several of them at the same time).



    Option 1: Pick a niche where the demand is likely to be so high that employers/customers will hire by merit



    I assume that the rule "We don't hire anyone over 45" applies only, if the company doesn't need that developer badly enough. Let's say a company offers a job, and 100 qualified people stand in line for an interview. In this case, they can be picky and only hire young people.



    If, on the other hand, the demand for that particular skill set is so high that their recruiters have to hunt down qualified candidates (it's recruiters who court the qualified candidates, not the other way round), then the age may be a lesser problem.



    Hence, part of the solution is to



    • pick a niche where the demand is likely to stay high in the coming years and

    • establish myself as an expert in this niche (learn the technology and create proofs of my skills like a portfolio).

    I have most experience with Java. I don't think I can work in Java when I'm old (see also Option 2 below for an additional reason). So I need to pick another niche.



    So far I think that frontend development with JavaScript or one of its subniches (like React or Angular.JS) may have a consistent demand during the years to come (more than Java does).



    Why?



    It's primarily medium and large corporations that need Java developers. These companies also have the age-discriminating HR gatekeepers.



    In contrast, anyone, from a Fortune 500 corporation to a mom-and-pop internet store needs a developer who can make their web site work properly (frontend development). I assume that smaller companies care less about my age, especially, if I work for them as a freelancer.



    Another reason in favor of frontend tech: Java is an established, mature technology. There are solutions for the majority of problems.



    Frontend technology, on the other hand, changes rapidly and there is a lot of chaos in this sphere. In the frontend world I can deliver an additional value to the customer by helping them orient in that chaos. For example, I could blog about which technology in 2018 you should use for task X and why. Such a blog post would a) help the potential customer make a technical decision and b) promote me as an expert. In 2019 I would write another article with the same topic and it is very likely that the contents will be different (because by then the advice from 2018 would have become obsolete).



    Option 2: Pick a niche in which employers/customers are used to remote work



    As I said, when I'm old I want to settle down in a small village. Most companies that use Java are located in big cities and, according to my experience with German-speaking companies, 99 % of them don't like remote work (I know that in other cultures, e. g. in US, remote work is much more widespread).



    My impression is that there are more frontend-related remote jobs (including freelance) than Java-related.



    Therefore I could increase my chances of finding employers/customers by focusing on niches populated by more remote-friendly companies.



    Note: I don't consider working for US companies remotely because of the time difference. Correct me, if I'm wrong (i. e. if you know someone in the US who successfully works with a remote developer in Europe without them both being online simultaneously for 6+ hours per day).



    Option 3: Become a superconnector



    This approach focuses on expanding my network. For example, if I



    • contribute something valuable to a promising open-source project,

    • write a valuable blog post, or

    • translate some material from English to German,

    I'm likely to get to know new people. The more people I know, the easier it is to provide value to them by connecting two people who may be useful to each other. The more such favors I do, the more likely people will want to respond in kind and help me get jobs (or get past the age-discriminating gatekeepers).



    If these efforts go really well, I may found something like a virtual user group where I would regularly hold free webinars (e. g. on topics in frontend development), provide value for the customers, and position myself as an expert (which again increases the likelihood of getting hired). This would also increase my attractiveness to potential customers despite my age.






    retirement






    share







    New contributor




    Franz Drollig is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.





















      up vote
      0
      down vote

      favorite









      up vote
      0
      down vote

      favorite











      I'm about 40 years old and I'm a software developer (with focus on Java). I was told that in my region (German-speaking Europe) companies stop hire people when they turn 45.



      I don't believe in public pension system and assume that in order to survive when I'm old, I'll need to work until I die. It's doable because one of my ancestors also worked in an intellectually challenging job until the age of 89.



      I intend to use the time until I'm 45 in order to acquire resources that will allow me to earn enough money in a role where I can continue working as long as I perform (not when some HR bureaucrats think I'm young enough).



      In what occupations, niches, or roles can a 45+ person work without being discriminated because of his age?



      Ideally, this niche should allow me to work remotely because I want to setle down in a rural region when I'm old. Both being an employee and a contractor is an option for me.



      Below you can find my ideas on how this can be achieved. Feel free to criticize them (if one of them is terribly wrong, please tell). Note that these options are not mutually exclusive (I may use several of them at the same time).



      Option 1: Pick a niche where the demand is likely to be so high that employers/customers will hire by merit



      I assume that the rule "We don't hire anyone over 45" applies only, if the company doesn't need that developer badly enough. Let's say a company offers a job, and 100 qualified people stand in line for an interview. In this case, they can be picky and only hire young people.



      If, on the other hand, the demand for that particular skill set is so high that their recruiters have to hunt down qualified candidates (it's recruiters who court the qualified candidates, not the other way round), then the age may be a lesser problem.



      Hence, part of the solution is to



      • pick a niche where the demand is likely to stay high in the coming years and

      • establish myself as an expert in this niche (learn the technology and create proofs of my skills like a portfolio).

      I have most experience with Java. I don't think I can work in Java when I'm old (see also Option 2 below for an additional reason). So I need to pick another niche.



      So far I think that frontend development with JavaScript or one of its subniches (like React or Angular.JS) may have a consistent demand during the years to come (more than Java does).



      Why?



      It's primarily medium and large corporations that need Java developers. These companies also have the age-discriminating HR gatekeepers.



      In contrast, anyone, from a Fortune 500 corporation to a mom-and-pop internet store needs a developer who can make their web site work properly (frontend development). I assume that smaller companies care less about my age, especially, if I work for them as a freelancer.



      Another reason in favor of frontend tech: Java is an established, mature technology. There are solutions for the majority of problems.



      Frontend technology, on the other hand, changes rapidly and there is a lot of chaos in this sphere. In the frontend world I can deliver an additional value to the customer by helping them orient in that chaos. For example, I could blog about which technology in 2018 you should use for task X and why. Such a blog post would a) help the potential customer make a technical decision and b) promote me as an expert. In 2019 I would write another article with the same topic and it is very likely that the contents will be different (because by then the advice from 2018 would have become obsolete).



      Option 2: Pick a niche in which employers/customers are used to remote work



      As I said, when I'm old I want to settle down in a small village. Most companies that use Java are located in big cities and, according to my experience with German-speaking companies, 99 % of them don't like remote work (I know that in other cultures, e. g. in US, remote work is much more widespread).



      My impression is that there are more frontend-related remote jobs (including freelance) than Java-related.



      Therefore I could increase my chances of finding employers/customers by focusing on niches populated by more remote-friendly companies.



      Note: I don't consider working for US companies remotely because of the time difference. Correct me, if I'm wrong (i. e. if you know someone in the US who successfully works with a remote developer in Europe without them both being online simultaneously for 6+ hours per day).



      Option 3: Become a superconnector



      This approach focuses on expanding my network. For example, if I



      • contribute something valuable to a promising open-source project,

      • write a valuable blog post, or

      • translate some material from English to German,

      I'm likely to get to know new people. The more people I know, the easier it is to provide value to them by connecting two people who may be useful to each other. The more such favors I do, the more likely people will want to respond in kind and help me get jobs (or get past the age-discriminating gatekeepers).



      If these efforts go really well, I may found something like a virtual user group where I would regularly hold free webinars (e. g. on topics in frontend development), provide value for the customers, and position myself as an expert (which again increases the likelihood of getting hired). This would also increase my attractiveness to potential customers despite my age.






      retirement






      share







      New contributor




      Franz Drollig is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.











      I'm about 40 years old and I'm a software developer (with focus on Java). I was told that in my region (German-speaking Europe) companies stop hire people when they turn 45.



      I don't believe in public pension system and assume that in order to survive when I'm old, I'll need to work until I die. It's doable because one of my ancestors also worked in an intellectually challenging job until the age of 89.



      I intend to use the time until I'm 45 in order to acquire resources that will allow me to earn enough money in a role where I can continue working as long as I perform (not when some HR bureaucrats think I'm young enough).



      In what occupations, niches, or roles can a 45+ person work without being discriminated because of his age?



      Ideally, this niche should allow me to work remotely because I want to setle down in a rural region when I'm old. Both being an employee and a contractor is an option for me.



      Below you can find my ideas on how this can be achieved. Feel free to criticize them (if one of them is terribly wrong, please tell). Note that these options are not mutually exclusive (I may use several of them at the same time).



      Option 1: Pick a niche where the demand is likely to be so high that employers/customers will hire by merit



      I assume that the rule "We don't hire anyone over 45" applies only, if the company doesn't need that developer badly enough. Let's say a company offers a job, and 100 qualified people stand in line for an interview. In this case, they can be picky and only hire young people.



      If, on the other hand, the demand for that particular skill set is so high that their recruiters have to hunt down qualified candidates (it's recruiters who court the qualified candidates, not the other way round), then the age may be a lesser problem.



      Hence, part of the solution is to



      • pick a niche where the demand is likely to stay high in the coming years and

      • establish myself as an expert in this niche (learn the technology and create proofs of my skills like a portfolio).

      I have most experience with Java. I don't think I can work in Java when I'm old (see also Option 2 below for an additional reason). So I need to pick another niche.



      So far I think that frontend development with JavaScript or one of its subniches (like React or Angular.JS) may have a consistent demand during the years to come (more than Java does).



      Why?



      It's primarily medium and large corporations that need Java developers. These companies also have the age-discriminating HR gatekeepers.



      In contrast, anyone, from a Fortune 500 corporation to a mom-and-pop internet store needs a developer who can make their web site work properly (frontend development). I assume that smaller companies care less about my age, especially, if I work for them as a freelancer.



      Another reason in favor of frontend tech: Java is an established, mature technology. There are solutions for the majority of problems.



      Frontend technology, on the other hand, changes rapidly and there is a lot of chaos in this sphere. In the frontend world I can deliver an additional value to the customer by helping them orient in that chaos. For example, I could blog about which technology in 2018 you should use for task X and why. Such a blog post would a) help the potential customer make a technical decision and b) promote me as an expert. In 2019 I would write another article with the same topic and it is very likely that the contents will be different (because by then the advice from 2018 would have become obsolete).



      Option 2: Pick a niche in which employers/customers are used to remote work



      As I said, when I'm old I want to settle down in a small village. Most companies that use Java are located in big cities and, according to my experience with German-speaking companies, 99 % of them don't like remote work (I know that in other cultures, e. g. in US, remote work is much more widespread).



      My impression is that there are more frontend-related remote jobs (including freelance) than Java-related.



      Therefore I could increase my chances of finding employers/customers by focusing on niches populated by more remote-friendly companies.



      Note: I don't consider working for US companies remotely because of the time difference. Correct me, if I'm wrong (i. e. if you know someone in the US who successfully works with a remote developer in Europe without them both being online simultaneously for 6+ hours per day).



      Option 3: Become a superconnector



      This approach focuses on expanding my network. For example, if I



      • contribute something valuable to a promising open-source project,

      • write a valuable blog post, or

      • translate some material from English to German,

      I'm likely to get to know new people. The more people I know, the easier it is to provide value to them by connecting two people who may be useful to each other. The more such favors I do, the more likely people will want to respond in kind and help me get jobs (or get past the age-discriminating gatekeepers).



      If these efforts go really well, I may found something like a virtual user group where I would regularly hold free webinars (e. g. on topics in frontend development), provide value for the customers, and position myself as an expert (which again increases the likelihood of getting hired). This would also increase my attractiveness to potential customers despite my age.






      retirement




      retirement





      share







      New contributor




      Franz Drollig is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.










      share







      New contributor




      Franz Drollig is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.








      share



      share






      New contributor




      Franz Drollig is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.









      asked 1 min ago









      Franz Drollig

      1012




      1012




      New contributor




      Franz Drollig is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.





      New contributor





      Franz Drollig is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.






      Franz Drollig is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.

























          active

          oldest

          votes











          Your Answer







          StackExchange.ready(function()
          var channelOptions =
          tags: "".split(" "),
          id: "423"
          ;
          initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

          StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function()
          // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
          if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled)
          StackExchange.using("snippets", function()
          createEditor();
          );

          else
          createEditor();

          );

          function createEditor()
          StackExchange.prepareEditor(
          heartbeatType: 'answer',
          convertImagesToLinks: false,
          noModals: false,
          showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
          reputationToPostImages: null,
          bindNavPrevention: true,
          postfix: "",
          noCode: true, onDemand: true,
          discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
          ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
          );



          );






          Franz Drollig is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.









           

          draft saved


          draft discarded


















          StackExchange.ready(
          function ()
          StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fworkplace.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f119522%2fin-what-occupations-niches-roles-can-a-software-developer-work-when-he-is-90-y%23new-answer', 'question_page');

          );

          Post as a guest






















          active

          oldest

          votes













          active

          oldest

          votes









          active

          oldest

          votes






          active

          oldest

          votes








          Franz Drollig is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.









           

          draft saved


          draft discarded


















          Franz Drollig is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.












          Franz Drollig is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.











          Franz Drollig is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.













           


          draft saved


          draft discarded














          StackExchange.ready(
          function ()
          StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fworkplace.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f119522%2fin-what-occupations-niches-roles-can-a-software-developer-work-when-he-is-90-y%23new-answer', 'question_page');

          );

          Post as a guest
































































          Comments

          Post a Comment

          Popular posts from this blog

          What does second last employer means? [closed]

          Image
          Clash Royale CLAN TAG #URR8PPP .everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty margin-bottom:0; up vote -3 down vote favorite Say, for example I have worked in the following companies, Company A => 2010 - 2011 Company B => 2011 - 2012 Company C => 2012 - Till Date Company D => Have offer Now assume Company D is asking to submit documents from my second last employer. So from the list of companies given, which company would be qualified as second last employer? software-industry employer share | improve this question asked Aug 10 '14 at 5:16 Rajaprabhu Aravindasamy 559 1 6 13 closed as off-topic by Jim G., jmort253 ♦ Aug 11 '14 at 1:58 This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason: "Questions seeking advice on company-specific regulations, agreements, or policies should be directed to your manager or HR department. Questions that address...
          Read more

          List of Gilmore Girls characters

          Image
          The season three cast—(Back row): Lane, Michel, Paris, Emily, Richard, Sookie, Miss Patty, Kirk; Front row: Jess, Luke, Lorelai, Rory, Dean This is a list of characters for the comedy-drama television series Gilmore Girls . Contents 1 Main characters 1.1 Lorelai Gilmore 1.2 Rory Gilmore 1.3 Sookie St. James 1.4 Lane Kim 1.5 Michel Gerard 1.6 Luke Danes 1.7 Emily Gilmore 1.8 Richard Gilmore 1.9 Paris Geller 1.10 Dean Forester 1.11 Jess Mariano 1.12 Kirk Gleason 1.13 Jason Stiles 1.14 Logan Huntzberger 2 Major recurring characters 2.1 Christopher Hayden 2.2 Jackson Belleville 2.3 Mrs. Kim 2.4 Tristin DuGray 2.5 Max Medina 2.6 Taylor Doose 2.7 Dave Rygalski 2.8 Marty 3 Recurring characters 3.1 Stars Hollow 3.2 Chilton 3.3 Yale 3.4 Other 4 Notable guest stars 5 Unseen characters 6 Notes 7 References Main characters Actor Character Appearances Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Season 4 Season 5 Season 6 Season 7 A Year in the Life Lauren Graham Lorelai Gilmore...
          Read more

          One-line joke

          A one-liner is a joke that is delivered in a single line. A good one-liner is said to be pithy - concise and meaningful. [1] Comedians and actors use this comedic method as part of their act, e.g. Jimmy Carr, Tommy Cooper, Rodney Dangerfield, Norm Macdonald, Ken Dodd, Stewart Francis, Zach Galifianakis, Mitch Hedberg, Anthony Jeselnik, Milton Jones, Shappi Khorsandi, Jay London, Mark Linn-Baker, Demetri Martin, Groucho Marx, Dan Mintz, Emo Philips, Tim Vine, Steven Wright and Henny Youngman and Arnold Schwarzenegger. [ citation needed ] Many fictional characters are also known to deliver one-liners, including James Bond, who usually includes pithy and laconic quips after disposing of a villain. [ citation needed ] Examples "A baby seal walks into a club." "A dyslexic man walks into a bra." (Anonymous) "There are three types of people, those who can count and those who can't." "Venison's dear, isn't it?" (Jimmy Carr) "An escala...
          Read more