I just got laid off.

[HopeHoops]

25. I've got decades of IT experience too. Good fucking luck. No offense, mind you.

Having experience USED to be a benefit, but now it's a liability. They only want to hire low-wage inexperienced people I can program circles around. We "cost too much". Companies are missing out. We can do five times the work in the same time. That's not what the pointy-haired bosses see. We just cost too much. I know far more languages that are no longer in use than the ones that are currently in use and I know now. The mechanics are the same. The logic is the same. The implementation is the same. How the FUCK do you explain that to an empty suit? All I get now is contract work. It pays well, but it isn't steady and doesn't come with health insurance.

My wife has to work just for health insurance. Her salary helps, but it isn't why she works. I'm in poor health and have medical bills stacking up. Without the insurance they'd take our house. Our industry has never been stable and I doubt it ever will be. It's a situation where you just have to grab whatever comes along now. The longest job I had was 3 1/2 years and in EVERY case (including that one) it was because the company went tits up.

I can still program the shit out of any kid.