This year just 40 years old, in a famous foreign company to do the position of technical experts, in the eyes of relatives and friends, just like half a “successful person”, but deep in the heart, but without a moment of fear. I know that I am just like a man on stilts in the wind and rain. Even if there is a gust of wind or a mistake, I will fall heavily and even cannot get up again.

I have a habit of updating my resume regularly every year, and then I have a round of interviews. On the one hand, I will see if THERE is a better opportunity, and on the other hand, I will understand the market situation and technical trends as the direction of my efforts in the next year.

From the age of 30 to 40, every year for the whole 10 years, this form has effectively encouraged me to study and work hard. Because I believe that as long as I keep working hard, I will always stand in the forefront of technology, I will always keep strong competitiveness, and the so-called “midlife crisis” will never fall on my head.

But as I get older, and the interview situation gets worse each year, I doubt the value of “hard work” more and more, and come to understand the words I heard when I was younger: “The so-called tragic life lies not only in being hit by misfortune, but also in the inevitability of such misfortune.” And “midlife crisis” is such an inevitable tragedy of life. For the vast majority of people, no matter how hard they struggle, there is no escape.

At the beginning of the year, I came to a video website to apply for a senior software engineer across more than half of Beijing. I was fully prepared and in a brilliant state, and I beat all the way in the technical link. Therefore, when I was waiting for the director interview in the conference room, I was full of confidence, thinking that the offer was in the bag.

I’ve decided that when the director sits down with me to talk about my vision, I’m going to bring my depth and breadth of skills to the table. I’m going to talk to him about architecture, trends,… However, when the director opened the door and I stood up to greet him, I read a distinct surprise and disappointment on his face rather than a smile. He didn’t even sit down, simply asking a database question and wrapping up the interview.

In this interview, even after a few months, I can still clearly remember the expression on the director’s face. What he expected was not a sly, greasy middle-aged uncle, but a vigorous, obedient, and able-bodied young man who could work overtime.

So I changed my strategy and went for an architect instead. This is obviously the right way, the interview is much more harmonious, and did not meet the early interview of pure development of the embarrassment of the post.

I was interviewed by a nice guy in his early 30s for the position of big data architect in the technical section of a famous mall in China. Our thinking was quite consistent throughout the whole process and we could see that the guy was very satisfied with me. Therefore, when the interview was over and the guy told me to go back and wait for the notice, I was quite surprised. Feel oneself may be by the tragic “set”, simply ask directly: “I am not quite let you down, so set me, let me go back to wait for the news?” The young man was straightforward and even a little excited. He turned to me and handed me some of his resume.

“Look, this is the candidate we met with recently, this is the chief scientist of XXX, this is the VP of XXX, and this is… By comparison, your background is so mediocre that I only put you on the shortlist because you have good skills. I am not fooling you, there is only one architect, the company must repeatedly screen in which, I also see zha two good chat, just show you these things.”

It turned out that the guy was really a sincere man. I received the notice of the second interview soon. After two months and six rounds of interviews, I finally got the final offer. However, one of the uneasy, depression, since not for humanity, and then superimposed before the interview of high humiliation, so that I clearly feel the age of workplace people’s distress.

Looking for a job made me confirm one problem: as long as you reach the red line of age (about 34 years old), no matter how hard you work, no matter how good your skills are, no matter how enthusiastic you are, you will not even get an interview. Therefore, when you get older, if you want to make a living, you have to sharpen your head and go up to be an architect and a manager. But the cruel thing is, in the pyramid structure, these positions are bound to be relatively rare, and what is the way out for those older technical people who do not go to management positions?

As a college student in the 1990s, once the “favored child of Heaven”, from the student days, I always urge myself to study hard, work hard, afraid of which step is wrong, be abandoned by technology, by The Times. But what is the reality? So what if you’re fluent in multiple programming languages, familiar with design patterns, big data, and AI?

You don’t want to be a director, you don’t want to be a CTO, you just want to quietly research technology, is that a high requirement? However, the reality is so cruel, you either work hard “struggle”, step on the failure of everyone to become the so-called “manager”, or will fall into a sad loser, there is no warmth in the middle.

In our value system, “hard” is a very the right thing, but in our efforts at the same time, it will not to think about the value behind the efforts, most of the time, we just enjoy the “hard” feeling, because in the face of heavy reality, only by constantly “effort” to slightly reduce our great anxiety.

Those poisonous chicken soup, teach people to work hard, to surpass, to succeed, to be the master! However, for a group, this kind of chicken soup is not very nutritious, because in a group, only a few people can succeed, the so-called efforts only increase the difficulty of survival of the whole group (think of the endless overtime), as for the success rate of the whole group does not change.

And to improve the success rate of the whole group, the society should be able to accommodate more diversified values: you are good at communication, like management, yes, work hard, SAO Nian, become CEO! And you like technology, yes, I admire you, creating conditions for you to immerse yourself in research, and looking forward with confidence to your innovation. Even if you are so unmotivated, content with the picket fence of “wife and kids,” I don’t admire you, but I definitely don’t despise you. Who stipulated that those who “struggle” are nobler than those who don’t “struggle”?

In order to improve the success rate of the whole group, in addition to more diversified values, it is urgent to change the current bad labor relations, such as vicious overtime (such as 996), age discrimination and gender discrimination. Because only in this way, it is possible to maximize the extension of the career life of employees, so that there is room for discussion of individual efforts. Otherwise, the so-called efforts will eventually be alienated to sell youth in a sweatshop when you are young, and when you are old and tired, you will be mercilessly swept out by the capitalists, leaving a sigh!

In 10 years, life has gradually changed me from a blindly optimistic young man to a pessimist, but it is undoubtedly the best me in history. I’ve come to terms with my mediocrity, given up the illusion of being a protagonist, and accepted that I’m just another human being.

I’m pessimistic, but I’m more rational, because the best way to be rational is to master pessimism, like Seneca, who believed that anger and disappointment stem from optimistic expectations. The inhabitants of Northern Europe are not outraged by the rain, the Inuit are not disappointed by the rain, and I am not put off by the hammering of life in the future, which is not beyond my expectations.

However, even so, I still want to write my own experience, to express my thoughts, that is because:

Although we are struggling in the bottom of the ordinary people, helpless, humble, cowardly, but we are not stupid, never numb. Although we are powerless to change this ridiculous status quo, but also will not be this ridiculous status quo applaud, more will not rationalize this ridiculous, become a pathetic hateful “struggle force”!

Reprinted from:

Vsformac.com/ A 40 year old code farmer summary…