As I said in another reply, I could afford to ignore BigTech recruiters at 45 making about as much as a returning intern makes where I work now. I already had the big house in the burbs, retirement savings, a family and a son graduating from high school.
I would never tell a new college grad to ignore the same recruiters I did.
I could and can take jobs I enjoy, actively run away from promotions, etc.
I had a great time, and learnt the most, at smaller places and lower paying jobs. Then I also had a great time at some better paying startups. I probably enjoyed my "big tech" better paying jobs the least. All that said, you're generally so much above the average as a software developer that you can't even imagine what most people are struggling with.
YMMV
In 1996, I graduated from an unknown state college in South Georgia and I made $11/hour as a computer operator working on DEC VAX and Stratus VOS mainframes.
Because of…poor career choices …I didn’t hit six figures until I was 40. Even now I make about what a software engineer II makes at my same BigTech company at 49 in cloud consulting.
As I say, please play the worlds smallest fiddle for me.
Last year, my wife and I got rid of everything we owned that wouldn’t fit in 3 suitcases - including our cars - and bought a vacation/investment property in a resort area in Florida. We stay here half the year from October - mid March and we fly around the US the other half of the year “digital nomadding”. My wife in the meantime is retired at 47 and she is involved with her passion in the fitness/wellness industry and meets up with people everywhere we go and flies to conferences from wherever we are staying in a given week. I also fly for work a few times a week.
We take Uber everywhere.
This is what I meant by I can make different life choices at 49 than I would recommend a college grad making. I can be okay barely making L5 compensation.
Our fixed expenses are really low.
When I was still in college, most kids were graduating with debt. Tuition and fees have only gone up since I left. Lots of people I knew who dropped out to try and save for college ended up in dead-end despair jobs.
That’s because you have enough of it now.
That's not to say that one should work in oppressive conditions or make other people suffer for a little more money; there is nuance. But, seriously. You can't pretend that money doesn't matter.
Don't assume things and don't comment here with bland reddit one liners. Only say something if it's constructive.
