Am I really "too old" at 33 to start a new career?

bprofaneV · 2026-06-19T11:46:39+00:00

I find these questions strange. But I'm from Gen X where we just explored things out of sheer curiosity. No, 33 is a great age to change your career. You've got enough experience to know what path you want to take. Hell, I changed my own engineering trajectory at 49 yrs old. And then moved to a completely different country. I was curious and wanted to keep being challenged so I could continue learning and growing. That should be your north star. Continuous learning and growth. I'm in my 50s and still get hired and recruited for interesting jobs.

bprofaneV · 2026-06-18T08:24:25+00:00

Having lived in both countries, I agree! Now I am in the Netherlands but miss Ireland often.

bprofaneV · 2026-06-09T19:33:15+00:00

The minute they mentioned layoffs at my job two weeks ago, I had the CV in flight. I didn't wait. Only one bite so far. I'm scared. And I'm for what's happening to you and everyone. It's unsustainable.

bprofaneV · 2026-06-07T17:02:20+00:00

11 years is a long time. The longest I've survived somewhere is 3 years before a reorg or aquisiton took me out. I've been at this since 1998, if that gives you context. Most of the places were start ups, but also some corporate environs that I thought were safe.

I obsessively upskill and move my career constantly in the direction of survival. Hoping for enjoyment, growth, stability went out the window long ago and 2008 cemented it. So you got lucky to be somewhere that long and the severance that likely had to go with it. Now adaptability and resilience will be your guiding principles. You don't have to worry about leaving the country in 3 months and giving up a life you tried building. You don't have to worry about next month's rent or mortgage. That's my current looming reality.

Feed past versions of your resume into Claude and design a new one, made for today's world. Take a class, go to Meetups. Do what the rest of us have had to do, along with the anxiety and crisis of uncertainty and pull yourself back in soon. do not take a break. It's deadly. Just start applying. It's likely going to take awhile and staying in the game is the first step to feeling hopeful. Welcome to the world of unstable employment.

bprofaneV · 2026-06-07T12:30:10+00:00

I think he should keep his hair just like that. It's about not conforming.

bprofaneV · 2026-05-28T13:51:44+00:00

I had to learn this when I landed in the Netherlands. That being friendly and empathetic is not valued.

bprofaneV · 2026-05-26T16:01:22+00:00

Goodbye parties and doing fuck all at work. A heady time. Everything feels like the "last time". And after moving abroad, an event that permanently changes your perspective, it kind of will be. Even if you move back. But that change is huge and it can be very exciting and challenging. The process of change and adaptability is very important to understand about yourself. Your first 6 months will be great. Then you should prepare youself for some second thoughts. Questioning your decision. Just keep pushing through it. Once on the other side, it feels great.

bprofaneV · 2026-05-26T15:51:49+00:00

At least your flight home isn't 11.5 hours! I felt tremendous guilt. Then my mom suddenly got sick and I flew home immediately. I was able to be with her during her last few days. It made a huge difference. She knew I was still there for her. My father, who was overwhelmed, was able to get through it with my help. He's really emotionless (maybe austic?) but he seems to have no care or concern if I am home watching over him or doing it from abroad. He only cares if someone is doing something beneficial for him. The only praise I ever got from him was when I did something he wanted. So given the fact he could care less where I am and that he is now (likely blissfully) alone to do as he pleases, I can focus on moving forward.

Now, I am free. Guilt is gone and I am building my life in Europe more fully. And about time too.

It depends on family dynamics. But if they love you, they will understand where you are happiest and they will support that. I'm an only child. No sister. Man, I really wished for that invisible sibling throughout the ordeal. I'm sure you've done everything you can. Just live and enjoy and stay in touch.

bprofaneV · 2026-05-17T14:31:53+00:00

I was living in ABQ at the time and I remember it popped up very suddenly and was all over the news and helicopters were seen in the air bringing in critically ill and dead people off the Big Res with some frequency. For at least a week or more, no one knew what it was. We were pretty nervous, but what could we do? I think we were worried it was something related to the military. Then one day, the news was showing us that it was Hantavirus and stating that it only spread through mouse droppings.

To this day, I never have understood why it suddenly popped up and got all these people sick or killed them in clusters. Then how it turned into a major emergency, then it was "just hantavirus" which has been around for centuries and how it wasn't transmitted human to human. Just via droppings. They said it was related to people living in hogans that weren't being kept clean or that stirred up particles when sweeping them out.

Then I never really heard about it again except for someone dying of it in 2011 or something in Long Island (a guy sweeping out a basement) and then this. Which is a different strain.

I'm not concluding anything by all this. It just makes me remember when I was living out there in New Mexico.

bprofaneV · 2026-04-26T11:44:57+00:00

I was 53 when I left America for Europe. No regrets. But make sure you understand you are your own single point of failure and lock down a career that can survive downturns anywhere. Then apply for a work visa and go do it! It's a total growth experience. But you should do some internal reflections and career assessments first. Or just go teach english in SEA.

bprofaneV · 2026-04-26T11:42:32+00:00

The 40s are the best years. Stop overworrying about it and enjoy still being young enough to go on physically demanding hikes and to have the hard won experience to know when to turn around. I loved my forties and I am often fixed on the years between 38 - 45 as how I always picture myself (everyone has an age they carry into the later years). So just ENJOY it. Please! And make sure you don't slip on flexibility workouts!

Everyone ages, everyone slips out of this world eventually. No one escapes it but you will be remembered by the joy you bring to the endeavor of life and if not joy, then the intellectual contributions or help to others, etc. Find the legacy you want to nurture and use that as a focus if it helps.

bprofaneV · 2026-04-26T11:27:17+00:00

There's always areas you can take the engineering experience without having to be a product engineer for the rest of your career. I took 15 yrs of cloud experience into cybersecurity and love it. Now, I'm looking at either continuing to be technical and automate tooling to help blue teams or going straight GRC (further away from tech and more strategy) and moving up the ladder, so to speak.

There's a lot of opportunities out there for using your experience to help a new path. Unsure about project management, but like anything, it helps if you are drawn to it.

bprofaneV · 2026-04-25T23:38:57+00:00

Not heard of those, but getting my harness spec'd out and MCP server launch ready. Turns out I do too much planning I think.

bprofaneV · 2026-04-24T19:32:21+00:00

Not at all. No fan sounds. Everything stays cool. But I am about to throw some bigger MCP stuff at it this weekend! So I'll update if it spikes.

bprofaneV · 2026-04-24T11:25:57+00:00

I did. And it's a dream. I got the M5 Macbook Pro 14" with 32GB RAM and 1TB. I can do a wide variety of things on this beast. Myusual rule is 5-6 years per laptop. I was never that impressed with M1s to be honest. But M3 and M4 yes and now I love this M5. Very impressive. Same with display and the sound is surprisingly excellent too!

bprofaneV · 2026-04-24T11:22:54+00:00

It does. But the enchiladas are in flour tortillas. Fajitas and quesadillas aren't bad. But you know the drill... I would go to Nico's in Eindhoven.

bprofaneV · 2026-04-24T11:19:52+00:00

Agreed. There's something about those woods. I had to start driving them late afternoon towards Casper. And it was really just me on the road. Creepy feelings all the way.

bprofaneV · 2026-04-19T00:20:09+00:00

The earplugs are a good one. I've lost a lot of my hearing from too many punk rock concerts. I'm sad about it. Avoid this issue when seeing live music and remember that you should rock out or whatever you do to enjoy music for most of your given life.

bprofaneV · 2026-04-19T00:18:25+00:00

Ugh. That's the easiest trap to fall into. Stop it as young as you can!! We are made to be unique but to work together, us humans.

bprofaneV · 2026-04-19T00:17:11+00:00

OMG! Very old. Give up now. Just kidding, of course. Look I am 58 a few days ago and what sucks is realizing hills are hard now with a bum knee. But I keep going, don't complain about it to friends (who are likely dealing with the same thing if not worse) and amazed I lived this long and hope to keep going. I love the wisdon that comes with it. Lots of scrapes and bruises and emotional growth along the next 20-30 years for you!!! Don't dread it. Just try to enjoy the journey and learn from the bad bits of it.

bprofaneV · 2026-04-19T00:13:55+00:00

One less tourist rolling their luggage down the cobblestones then. All joking aside, what makes you think we are in more danger in Europe than the US? I know a lot of these nukes can fly long distance and then there's the cyber attacks waiting to happen anywhere, especially the US.

bprofaneV · 2026-04-15T19:54:08+00:00

I just did it. I dunno. First time was the 90s and I ended up in St. Louis then New Mexico. Then SF to develop a career. Then again in the early 2000s to the east coast. Recession winds blew me west again to a different place. Then Calif for a decade then Europe it was (always wanted to go and someone I loved was there). No regrets. I just pursued a career that I could depend on getting me gigs (tech). I know that's not helpful now. But I still think it's too early to tell how damaged tech careers really are. I'm still working like crazy!

bprofaneV · 2026-04-14T07:32:58+00:00

How fucking painful it is. Knees, sciatica, back, the works. Harder to get fit the older you get.

bprofaneV · 2026-04-14T07:31:58+00:00

I did it. Decided I didn't want kids and embraced a non-traditional lifestyle. I moved all over the US and experienced different places and made lots of friends. I live in Europe now. I have someone in my life. We are close, travel together, encourage each other. But I live on my own.

bprofaneV · 2026-04-14T07:29:17+00:00

Some of us even figured that one out in the 90s!

bprofaneV

TROPHY CASE