Post: #1

This is a question to everybody working in IT, electrical engineering or having some insights into that.

This is my situation:
I am now 40 years old. After an adventurous life full of different jobs, mainly low qualification and low pay, I decided to study electrical and informational engineering through e-learning courses, in a few months I will have my bachelor degree as an electric engineer.
So now it s time to specialize into something and become really good in that field.

I always escaped a lifestyle of sitting in an office( the 9 to 5 mill) for years, that was never for me, but for the cost of low pay and low career chances. But everybody always told me that I am a smart guy, good in maths and logical thinking, able to learn almost everything. So I finally studied , teached myself a lot in the field of programming and hope somehow to find a way to put my knowledge into money without giving up my freedom.

I am not sure if these studies were the perfect way matching my goals, probably not, but that decision is over, now the question is how to use it effectively for my goals.

I will of course to work for an employer for some time getting practical experience, maybe 2 or 3 years, but my goal is to have a freeer lifestyle in about three years. Ideally of course sitting on a beach somewhere working on my notebook for 4 hours a week, ok that s the phantasy on the high end, or just have projectwise jobs in a normal office but some longer vacations in between them, that s the low end.

I know the next step after bachelor degree is to specialize into something and become really good in that field.

My preference so far is that it s something software related, I am more the thinker, like logical mathematical things, on the other hand I have no practical background in tech fields.

But what exactly?
my ideas are:
1. Embedded Systems programming, Microcontrollers, hardware related programming, mainly in C and C++. here I could use my studied subject as this field is mainly done by electrical engineers.


2. PLC programming , machine controlling

3. classical software development for desktops in C++, java or whatever

4. programming mobile apps

5. Webdevelopment, preferably backend (PHP).

Generally I would consider that the more technical stuff like PLC or Embedded Systems is better paid and in higher need/ less competition , and it is connected to my field of study, electric engineering. But on the other hand the pure software paths , especially Webdevelopment is more the typical freelancing stuff that could easier lead to location and time independance, you need nothing ore than a notebook for that, has lower entrance barriers, more sources to learn for free on the Internet, there is more short term projectwise work, more of a hire and fire mentality which I appreciate.

Is anybody working or freelancing in one of the fields?

Could you check my ideas by the following five criteria?
1. in high need/ low competition
2. good money
3. freedom. The possibilities for freelancing, projectwise work, location independance
4. how fast is it possible to teach yourself the stuff necessary until making money
5. How are the structures in that field, as I am not the youngest, where are more unconventional minded people not looking too much on the CV but on the person and the things you know and can do.

Really appreciate any comments on that subject, I want to make my decision in the next 2 -3 months.

Post: #2

Generally speaking, because there are always exceptions: Anything leaning towards the hardware side will require on site work. On the other end, web/mobile can be pure remote.

Good low level(hardware programmers) do get paid well and have less competition. The flip side is there just aren't that many jobs in that segment. Web/mobile is exploding right now.

Good programmers will get paid well relative to experience and talent always.

I can't speak for hardware as I'm not in hardware, but I'm sure if you can hack a drone/car/etc you will get a job. I'm confident regardless of hardware/software, you need to know version control. Learn Git.

Unfortunately, there is very real ageism in tech. As someone of your age, you need to standout beyond the other candidates, not be mediocre. Or all else equal, the 25 year old will get the job over you.

Post: #3

I'm a mobile app developer (iOS) and really enjoy it. There's a lot of variety compared to other fields like backend development, and a lot of different ways to work - freelance, startups, or (as I'm doing) working on apps used internally for corporations, which is where the real growth potential is.

Post: #4

Are these apps for internal use in corporations basically different from the ones we see everyday? is it a different programming language or different development methods?

Post: #5

(05-02-2016 06:16 PM)HermeticAlly Wrote:  I'm a mobile app developer (iOS) and really enjoy it. There's a lot of variety compared to other fields like backend development, and a lot of different ways to work - freelance, startups, or (as I'm doing) working on apps used internally for corporations, which is where the real growth potential is.

Can you work remotely - either employed or contractor - or freelance online for this (internal apps for businesses)?

Post: #6

Learn SAPUI5 front end framework, learn Odata protocol, find some running demo SAP ERP servers(there are some if you look hard enough) and create some Odata services there and build web/mobile apps around these Odata services. Create portfolio and see if you can find some work. Its quite new area for SAP to push for all these web apps and right now there seems to be enough demand for these skills.

Post: #7

Man, I just took a look at their docs and no, no thanks. Who can enjoy dealing with this on a daily basis? I know why SAP consultants get that high amount of money, it's pain and suffering money!

OP, check this out, this is a pretty insightful read: Being a developer after 40

Post: #8

(05-03-2016 10:49 AM)Secret Wrote:  Are these apps for internal use in corporations basically different from the ones we see everyday? is it a different programming language or different development methods?

In some cases yes, like if you're maintaining KOBOL or something. But for mobile apps, you'll generally be doing iOS or Android, same languages or conventions as what you'd download on the App Store.

I work for a corporation, but it seems like big companies often outsource this work to development shops as well. Outsourcing mobile apps to foreign countries is a disaster (my employer tried it, but the results were so bad that they completely shut this off and hired local developers instead.)

Post: #9

iOS + Node.js : Expertise in this combo would give you a very wide range of remote consulting opportunities at forward thinking companies that are cool with remote work and lax work environments (autonomous style - no micromanagement) as long as the work gets done.

or

Data science and big data coding. R, Hadoop, etc... (I think this takes a much higher IQ, more training, stats apptitude - payoff can be huge)

Post: #10

Some update after a half year: decided to get deeper into embedded systems/ microcontrollers. Got a job there for a project for a few months, more some kind of payed internship. Was a good experience but it s over now.

Anyway, the put in work now drives me even more into the direction Embedded Systems / Microcontrollers, Programming in C/ C++.

But still it keeps my thoughts busy all the time that anything I hear about freelancing/ location independence, like here , I hear about the newest web technologies and frameworks, mobile apps, and stuff like that. Rarely about embedded systems.
So my conclusion is it s a niche and it s really not the perfect way for the route to freedom. But still not impossible.

The alternative would be to use my knowledge about Programming to get into all this web-related stuff with the midterm goal of freelancing.

The Pluses and Minuses I conclude:

Embedded Systems: Higher Pay.
Less competition
relates more to my degree in electric engineering than the web-stuff
But the High pay and high demand seems to be there only IF you are really good what might be the case only
after several years.



Web-development / apps/ ..... : It s the classic field for people who love freedom (Freelancers, projectwise work, remote gigs etc.)

The entry seems to be easier: less need for a formal degree and a classical career, jobs in small
startups and not in traditional industry. Often sounds like do some online courses at codecademy and
start bidding for your first jobs on upwork.

So I conclude probably I ll earn less in this field but the fruits can be earned quicker. Which is
considerable at my age.

As it s not hardware related you can learn almost everything by yourself from the internet while in
Embedded Systems you ll need more real work exprérience because you don t have all that
hardware at home. Also for Freelancing it might need some investments into hardware whereas in
the webfield havinga notebook is enough.

So in short: Embedded Systems has the better money and less competition, but the whole field of web and mobile is better tailored for the goal of a free lifestyle outside of a 9 to 5 office job.