I built my first website in 1993, about a year before Netscape Navigator was released. There were no books, there was no javascript, no css. There was no PHP. It was just me, View Source and a netcom html hosting page.
When I went professional in 1998, the .com boom was underway. It was a wild time full of challenging work and exponential rewards. The hours were long, the pay was crap, and the value of programming wasn't fully acknowledged.
Compare that to today. I have banker hours. The pay is great. My job appreciates me. However, my coworkers are all 20 years younger than I am and make similar or more pay with half my experience. But, experience beyond 5 years in this industry doesn't matter because it's irrelevant. Only the mention of huge company's names in my resume are worth something beyond 5 years.
When I went professional in 1998, the .com boom was underway. It was a wild time full of challenging work and exponential rewards. The hours were long, the pay was crap, and the value of programming wasn't fully acknowledged.
Compare that to today. I have banker hours. The pay is great. My job appreciates me. However, my coworkers are all 20 years younger than I am and make similar or more pay with half my experience. But, experience beyond 5 years in this industry doesn't matter because it's irrelevant. Only the mention of huge company's names in my resume are worth something beyond 5 years.