I'm late 50's, 35+ years professionally programming, mostly business software and ecommerce. I entertain at least one serious offer a month and numerous inquiries a week, none of which I intend to take but instead use as leverage for raises at my current position which I now have been at over 15 years. I have leveraged a 50% salary increase in the last 5 years. I am not a hard bargainer, just matching my estimated value. I am not in a big city. I work in an office.

I have outsourced coworkers that I tutor. They are almost universally pathetic at software development and are a net negative overall. I get the most done during the times upper management can't overlook the lack of progress on current projects and leave the offshore people to their own devices for a spell, or have fired them as we go through cycles of hiring and firing. Management just can't stop touching themselves thinking about those sub-minimum wage salaries but somehow never grasp you get what you pay for.

Want a job in software development?

- Love it for the work not the money. If you're in it for the money you'll never be good.

- Don't chase fads. I know little of crypto, web 3.0 (what version are we on now anyway?), javascript frameworks, and use AI sparingly. But I know programming and software development well enough to ace the little pointless tests they give in job interviews.

- Don't play games with getting hired. Use people not technology to find a better job. That means being presentable and personable and networking. Indeed is not networking it's a marketplace and you're the product.

Everyone has reasons not to attempt these things, but believe me when I say I can do it so can you. I have pretty good social anxiety but we're all bozos on this bus and I just keep that in mind at all times.