
Developers with 15+ work experience
Guys with 15+ years of experience working as developer, do we really have a future with companies looking to replace you with younger generation. One layoff and I know it will really hard task to find a new job.
I have already started thinking of alternative path. What are you thinking.

I always wondered were do developers with 15-20 years of experience go. As we know head count of designation gets narrowed down when you go up the corporate ladder but what happens to rest of them.

IT boom mainly started after 2005 in India with MNCs setting up offshore development centres.
So we will get to know in another 5-10 years where will most of us end up.
90% of them won’t be taking senior positions.
I think it’s time we should start normalising devs with 15, 20 or 30 years of experience. But currently things are not very supportive.

They start growing into higher roles like Architect or Staff Engineer around the 12+ years mark, then then continue in that growth path as Architect -> Sr. Architect -> Principal Architect etc., or Staff Engineer -> Sr. Staff Engineer -> Principal Engineer etc.
Mee too, 15 plus years folks are staring at dark abyss of unemployment

From own personal experience I used to work for IT giant. Last year firing happened and top 3 senior guys in the team, which also included an Architect and myself were laid off. Joined a start up but don’t know how long it will last.

Most people don't stay in a developer role for that long. Instead they start growing into higher roles like Architect or Staff Engineer around the 12+ years mark, then then continue in that growth path as Architect -> Sr. Architect -> Principal Architect etc., or Staff Engineer -> Sr. Staff Engineer -> Principal Engineer etc.
If you're still in a developer role after 15+ years, you're doing something wrong, and need to move into higher roles ASAP. Switch companies if necessary to get into a higher role.
There are 3 types of people in this category
- one who are passionate, they will float easily, will figure out something and stick
- one who just work like a normal job, not passionate but doing daily work they will move somewhere
- one who are bad at this, hate it but do this work for salary will find it difficult to adjust, this category is doomed