This isn't even a manifesto, it's maybe a warning or something I don't know.
I'm in my fifties now. I've worked IT my whole life, mainly support but also software analyst, network admin, etc. I for the last 10 years have made less than I made 20 years ago, and that's without inflation adjustment or anything. My jobs have been steadily more responsibility, learning, and stress my entire career.
One of the reasons why I've made less than I did 20 years ago is because at some point I had a choice between becoming a deep dive expert in some Dev type field, continuing in support, or becoming a head wacker. By head wacker I mean becoming a manager who's main job is to fire people and rehire them for less than before. I was a single dad so I chose to stay in support.
At this point I find myself having a very hard time finding a job. I'm competing against people who are 25 to 30 years old and have the willingness to work 50 or 60 hour weeks, learn massive amounts of new information only to throw it away in a month to learn something new, etc. I find the whole thing incredibly stressful and unfair, the idea we provide more and more efficiency and productivity yet dont get the same share of rewards we used to.
The hardest part about all of this is knowing it seems to be getting worse, not better. Mass layoffs by these mega corporations are designed to do only one thing, and that's fire and rehire the same people for less and less. I literally saw it happen over and over again at my jobs.
I have high points and low points but the low points seem to win out a lot lately. I look at these tech towns and how many of the people who work for the tech companies are living in trailers, etc. I look at all the people who are homeless and the incredible devastation on the streets of places like Seattle and San Francisco. I don't live in those cities but I know when people cry and moan about the increase in prices in my moderate sized city that they have no idea how bad it can get, and that it seems like the model of society in these dysfunctional large cities is spreading across the country, not the other way around.
The other thing that gets me is the degree to which people refuse to work together to better themselves. I live in Southern United States and even the people barely making ends meet consider unions, minimum wage increases, health insurance, or any kind of safety net, socialism. If you aren't willing to work 50 hour weeks you are weak and uncommitted.
When I left a job a year ago one of my more earnest young colleagues told me that I was not at the level I should be at my age and experience level. He was trying to tell me to aim higher. He's looking for another job now too.
I'm looking for a job up north, and while it seems better up there, it's like the whole country is being hollowed out. Giant corporations are providing the service and they move where they aren't regulated and can pay the least. The companies that stay up there are faced with the struggle to compete with the ruthless companies, and learn the ruthless survival skills they can get away with (layoffs).
I've seen companies that offer good work/life balance and decent salaries, but I can't compete with the young unscarred kids for those positions.
Anyway I'm basically just venting. I just found this group. I'll probably land an acceptable job in the next few months. I have an adequate cushion of savings. I just should be in a better place than I am and most people my age are actually worse off than me.
I do think I had the intention of saying this: friggin ORGANIZE. Stop looking at your colleagues as competition and start considering that you all deserve a better compensation for the work you do. The people at the higher rungs of the carreer ladder have gotten to the point where all they think is “well I'm better off than THEY are” and don't stop to think about what community or society could be like. They are not the people you should be thinking like.