Goal for my dev career future?

I'll soon be 53, my career goal is to make it to retirement without fired for some random biz-talk excuse for being too old.

How many years of experience you have? Why would you get fired for being too old? Are you happy with your salary? How much do you earn (just say in figures, 3-4-5-6)

@b2plane > "Why would you get fired for being too old?"

Outside a few upper mgrs (and of course, the senior leaders), I'm probably one of the highest paid employees in the company (and I'm not in mgmt). I've been with the company for over 25 years and received performance bonuses on top of the normal cost-of-living adjustments which has not gone noticed by managers getting paid less. In my previous rants, 'John' (the dept mgr) especially wanted me out for that and many more reasons.

I wouldn't be fire for being too old, that's illegal, I would be fired for no longer being a culture fit, I wore navy socks, or any other reason they want that doesn't violate the law.

While there are *a lot* of good things, they do tend to have an itchy trigger finger when it comes to firing someone for no reason.

Ex. they fired our Helpdesk mgr due to 'right sizing', then 3 months had to hire another mgr because the dept was in chaos.

Be proactive about a retirement plan. It makes it very difficult for management to be impulsive if there is a plan.

I would recommend taking a few apprentices. Start teaching them things to lighten your load. Then when the boss starts evaluating you they will ask the apprentices and they will say, “Oh fuck no i can’t fill those shoes.” By the time you want to retire you can offer to return on contract to fill gaps in the knowledge and sleep well knowing the apprentices can do most of it.

53 and already thinking about retirement? What's the age for male retirement where you are? It's ~65 in LT

@netikras > "53 and already thinking about retirement?"

Only from a 401K standpoint and making sure the investments are where they should be.

My wife has made it crystal clear I'm not 'retiring' until they pour the dirt on my grave. Even then she might be shouting "Hey lazy ass!...why can't you shovel your own dirt!" :)

I'm OK with that. My dad, my grandpa, father-in-law (and other family members) never really 'retired'. They work/worked because the want to, not because they have to.

My dad is in his 80s and ran the local VFW for years. Coordinating funerals, driving, riding the 'Rolling Thunder', helped with 'Honor Flights', etc. He even still mows the lawn.

Can almost guarantee that's how he's going to go. He's going to be helping someone do something he shouldn't and I'll get "the call".

Or saying something someone finds “offensive”. Or for not supporting The Current Thing.

@netikras
Working also keeps you away from annoying relatives.

My neighbour, he turned 104 a few weeks before he went, bless him, said when asked for his secret :
My wife died 40 years ago.
And then he went in and mashed some potatoes for dinner.

@PaperTrail
Also, it keeps your mind and body active.
Personally wouldn't fancy feeling myself turning into a vegetable. Although I'm not far from it in the first place.

@scor that got dark unusually quickly.

bet that old sonofabitch is still mashing those potatoes though.

@Wisecrack life and death are close to another in this universe. And I am an Internet edge lord. So, anything is a bit polarised. Also, it's fun to find a counter argument for one's original ones. But mostly because I have a smashing character. ='D

@scor one of my favorite words. Also you are smashing.

But don't forget to rip and tear too.

@Wisecrack smashing <3