So You're Thinking of Working in Tech...
The hosts of a tech podcast that I listen to (Accidental Tech Podcast) recently stated that if you want a good, stable, well-paying job, don’t get started in tech. It was said tongue in cheek as they all work in tech but I’ve personally been working in the industry for most of my life and I agree with them.
Does anyone else have a fantasy of being able to go back in time while retaining the knowledge you’ve gained in your life up to this point? Please say yes because I fantasize about this far too often. If I could go back and make some adjustments to the choices I’ve made I think I would. One of them would be an entirely different career path.
I’m Gen X. Which means I grew up in both the 80’s and 90’s. I experienced some of the first personal computers. Long before the internet was available to the general public. It wasn’t until high school that I had my first experience with the Internet. A friend had an Atari computer connected to a 2400-baud modem. It was incredibly slow but I was fascinated by the ability to communicate with other computer users over the phone line. It wasn’t until I was in University that dial-up speeds hit a blistering 56k.
The internet was brand new and everyone was still figuring out what exactly it could be used for. It was an exciting time for computer geeks. Jobs that had never existed before seemed to be created almost daily. I learned HTML and started building my own websites. That’s how I got started. I finished school, moved to a larger city and started working in web development. As the years went by, blah, blah, I’m going into my whole life story. The point is the tech industry now is a shadow of its former self.
10+ years ago developers and computer engineers enjoyed comfortable salaries. Companies like Facebook and Google built massive campuses full of every benefit imaginable. Free food, massages, medical specialists, and even places to sleep if you’re working late. If you worked for a startup you may not have enjoyed as many perks but you knew there was the possibility of building something great that would pay off in the future. Now? Wages have stagnated and in many cases dropped. Companies are laying off staff every few months while pushing for the same productivity levels. Employees are doing the same amount of work with half the staff and lower salaries. There’s a reason why most tech workers don’t last more than 2-3 years with one company.
In my opinion, the rise and fall of Twitter is a good example of the changes that have occurred across the tech industry. There are two fantastic books that cover the beginnings of the company and what’s happening now. The first is “Hatching Twitter” by Nick Bolton. The second is “Extremely Hardcore” by Zoe Schiffer. Read them in that order.
You might be asking; What should I do if I still really want to have a career in Tech? I have a few suggestions:
Think about working for a large, well-established organization in IT or Development. You can still do what you love but in a much more established company that isn’t associated with Silicon Valley. Every company, no matter what they sell, has an app or some kind of presence online. As such, they need a development team.
Build something. If you’re fine with putting in a shit-ton of overtime for someone else dream, then by all means, work at a startup. I personally think putting in all of that extra effort towards something you want to build is the better option. I’m not saying you need to be a founder or CEO. You can find people that want to build something amazing with you.
None of this is meant to be gospel. It’s just a rant from an aging Gen Xer based on my own experience working in Tech for 25 years and is feeling a little, (ok a lot) burnt out.