(no title)
1983054104 | 3 years ago
But I'm also not stuck in this generic mindset. I'm good at C++ because I like it more, that's my freedom and my choice. And after one or two years in a company, I kind of become a specialist myself on what I'm working on.
The secret is to always learn new stuff. I have 20 years of experience and I'm still reading books to learn (C++20, Rust, etc.) I've seen way too many coworkers who were stuck for the past ten years in a boring job or a dead technology and could not get out of it, it's very sad. When we meet for lunch, I always have funny stories to tell about "my new company." Yes, my previous coworkers have stable jobs but the salary is not good, they have no raise, and if their company closes for good, they will have a very hard time adapting and finding a new job (because it's most likely they only worked for one company their whole life). They always come back to me for advice on what to learn, what to do, and how to find a new job. Last but not least, their knowledge is tied to their own company and is not transferable.
What seems to be fragile is actually a power: I can quickly learn AND adapt, and I can switch companies without being unemployed if the management becomes crazy or if a company is stalling and/or on the verge of closing due to lack of money.
For me, being a specialist is interesting because you know one subject deeply, but it can become soul crushing, you'll have a hard time switching jobs, and you seldom learn new stuff. The best example I've seen all these years is C++: when you work for a company, you use THE specific C++ of the company and most of the time the "tech leads" refuse to change and, again, you're stuck in that specific version which does not teach you anything.
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