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Ask HN: Retiring as a Programmer at 60

by rsrsrs86 on 11/22/23, 10:08 PM with 4 comments

Hi folks, asking for a friend - my dad.

He is 60 and can code a bit. He did some BASIC in the 80s and 90s, and he can use ChatGPT to write VBA macros. He is well versed in Excel also.

2 years ago he strated playing with programming again. He bought arduino kits and 3d printers and can work his way around it to build a baby monitor that detects faces. He can code in Python and SQL too.

But his experience is in industrial management.

He is about to retire, and his dream is to retire as a programmer.

What are his options now? Is it realistic to assume that he can find a position in the programming industry? He is not looking for status or high pay. A simple junior level job would be more than fine!

Located in Nova Scotia/Canada.

  • by JoeMayoBot on 11/22/23, 10:23 PM

    It's a tough market for developers right now. One of things he can do is to peruse job boards, like Indeed, to get a feel for what types of jobs companies are hiring for right now. Another thing is to reach out to recruiting firms to see what type of jobs they're recruiting for too and get any tips on how to prepare.

    Also, if that's his dream - he shouldn't give up because today's programming positions are sparse. It could change dramatically in some amount of time. In the past, there have even been weirder anomalies in the market where programmer jobs were plentiful, while other jobs were sparse. The silver lining might be that by identifying where his passion is, he'll have time to be more prepared when the market is ready for him.

  • by biglyburrito on 11/22/23, 10:53 PM

    I'm not sure about the Canadian tech job market, but it's a bad job market for tech workers here in the US right now. I've heard of 1000+ resumes being received for a single role, and I have first-hand knowledge of one hiring manager having received 750 applications for a single role before they stopped accepting submissions. I wouldn't let that discourage your dad from shopping his resume around, but he should definitely temper his expectations due to it.

    If he's looking for a junior position, he might consider applying to / asking about roles at industrial management companies (whatever that is, idk =P). He might be able to get himself a junior role by playing up his potential to apply his extensive experience in that field, albeit using new tools & languages.

  • by cc101 on 11/23/23, 2:05 AM

    He should not let his age discourage him. I'm 77 and still enjoy programming. He might get away with turning his age into an asset by marketing himself as an application programmer with deep knowledge of industrial management. If he stressed his ability to easily work with managers in this field and his ability to understand their concerns, the right situation might eagerly welcome him. Good luck!

  • by souvic on 11/22/23, 10:20 PM

    I think he should start freelancing focusing on one skill and grow from there.