The midlife crisis, particularly the 35-year-old problem, appears to have become a widespread worry in China's Internet business, where many programmers have begun to experience it.

This issue has gained even more attention as Zhou Hongyi, the founder and CEO of Chinese cybersecurity company Qihoo 360, declared in a video that the 35-year-old dilemma facing programmers is "incomprehensible". 

The root cause of a complex problem must be identified before it can be resolved. Throughout this article, we will examine this issue in great detail to determine whether we can shed light on the situation for those who are currently facing it or who are likely to face it in the near future.

Background

During a video posted to his social media account on January 12, 2022, Zhou Hongyi expressed confusion regarding why employees were laid off at the age of 35.

As Mr. Zhou stated in the video, "I find it incomprehensible that people are considered 'old' at 35 in China, as many of the top programmers in Silicon Valley are over that age. I believe that as programmers age, they become more experienced and develop a better understanding of programming architecture. Perhaps it is difficult for employees over 35 to work late nights, but their wealth of experience will make up for it. "

Netizens have commented on this video online since its release, making it viral.

"Well, enterprises can't take advantage of not-young employees as easily."

"Zhou was playing dumb. The 35-year-old employees are let go not due to ineptitude but because their salaries are higher than those of their 25-year-old peers."

​

At the age of 35, a person may have just enough experience to carry out multiple tasks. The dismissal of such individuals would undoubtedly be a waste of human resources.

Industry custom or injustice?

As the 21st century has demonstrated, reaching 35 in China is increasingly synonymous with a career progression reversal for programmers. Indeed, it is "incomprehensible" or even a negative practice to let go of enthusiastic and experienced employees in their golden years.

Some cases seem to be from IT companies, whose efforts include convincing staff over 35 to leave the business, "forcing" those over 45 to "retire" (Huawei), and firing 10 percent of C-levels (Tencent). In China's highly iterative Internet and labor markets, middle-aged individuals have received a clear message: you are old. As s Chinese social networking company CEO stated: "It is never your fault; you are simply too old."

These occurrences are ultimately tied to people's questions: First, why are programmers over 35 fired? Why do corporations reject hiring individuals who are older than the age limit?

Historically, the response to the first question was that the 'CRUD' operators were inflexible or lacked imagination throughout development. Once the firm has stabilized, it will be easier to replace these programmers.

Confucius remarked, "At thirty, I can be independent. At forty, I am not deluded". This belief is deeply established in Chinese culture, and people have long held it. A 35-year-old is seen as sensible, mature, and endowed with excellent interpersonal skills due to their business acumen and critical thinking.

When it comes to the labor market, however, turning 35 paints a different picture: declining physical strength and memory, inability to work late, significant family responsibilities, and inability to devote all their time to work.

The upshot is that businesses will prefer to hire young, healthy, and active individuals over older ones, as the former group has a superior "cost-effective ratio" and performs better under pressure.

You are dismissed because you lack inventiveness, and you are rejected because you lack the vigor of younger individuals. These theories appear plausible at first glance, but the deeper you investigate, the more absurd they become.

There seems to be little awareness of this phenomenon outside of China, and the reasons may be complex and numerous.

Diverse viewpoints exist on this matter: "We have too many people, and there are enough programmers with lower salaries"; "The rich experience of a 35-year-old programmer cannot compare with the creativity and vitality of a young staff"; "Programming does not require that much creativity"; "As the economy transforms into a highly fragmented and competitive market, older programmers will encounter more opportunities."

Several of the fastest growing businesses in China, including the Internet, are rising rapidly as a result of enormous market sizes and huge market potential. However, some companies compete with brute force rather than technology and ingenuity. As a result, the age of programmers has become a determining factor, and this job is now considered a "youth-only occupation", as businesses strive to increase efficiency by employing low-quality methods such as the infamous "996" working pattern (employees are expected to work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week) or the "involution" (irrational or involuntary competition).

Is coding no longer an option?

Not everyone would choose to do coding as a lifetime career.

A programmer recently submitted a dismal message on the website of the State of Council: "I excel at many technological systems, but I cannot obtain a respectable job since I am older than 45."

This is just one of many disillusioned programmers who believe that those beyond the age of 40 should not be discriminated against while seeking employment, given this is the peak of their careers.

A programmer will not have such a high level of competitiveness unless he or she is a senior one, regardless of whether he or she knows various programming languages and major technical systems, has extensive experience in project practices, or even highly-recognized certifications, such as some aspirants have.

Is it truly exhausting to code at 35?

How about the "second half"?

As stated previously, the major question is whether companies are ready to hire programmers aged 35 and older. As one of them once inquired Daniel Zhang, CEO of the Alibaba Group, "Can we develop code passionately after the age of 35?"

In response to this question, Zhang said, "I will provide 120 percent support, encouragement, and appreciation to programmers over 35 who still have a strong desire to develop code, and we will create circumstances for these technicians."

Apparently, turning 35 does not signal the end of one's career, and the "second half" of one's career may include other splendors. In addition to a limited number of programmers promoted to management, others may decide to switch careers to become professors to share their technical expertise with novices or to acquire new skills in order to achieve remarkable success in a different industry.

Even with positive statements from Zhou Hongyi or Daniel Zhang, we must admit that this "potential rule" for 35+ programmers is unlikely to change in a short time.

Considering their average age data for the year 2021, the employees of Chinese Internet titans are "very youthful".  Bytedance is 27, whereas Qihoo 360 is 30 and Alibaba is 31.

The ages of Chinese internet titans on average Source: The Maimai Data Research Institute

As we intensify changes in the era of the digital economy, we want to see fewer programmers labeled as "old" or fired. Instead, intelligent businesses should assume responsibility for allowing programmers to realize their full potential during the "second half".

Chicken soup is not a universal cure

To go further, what are the genuine issues facing programmers aged 35?

In fact, they may not be overly concerned about being fired or falling behind in their work. Their fear stems from the belief that the whole business has abandoned them.

A large number of programmers view coding as a lifetime mission, donning plaid shirts and spectacles, sinking their heads to gather information, and searching for the finest solutions on technological forums such as GitHub, yet fail to complete the task by the age of 35.

Meeting blockages in one's career appears to be a personal issue at first glance. Internally, however, the situation is compelled by the intensely competitive job climate. One may be advised to "learn continually" or to engage in "lifelong learning" to avoid falling into ruts. Though it is beneficial for programmers to periodically refresh their tech stacks, this type of "chicken-soup" advice may not help programmers with 35 or more years of experience.

As the entire scenario is bleak and brutal, successful predecessors have demonstrated how to escape.

The creator of Kingsoft, Qiu Bojun, is known as "China's No. 1 Programmer", and Lei Jun, the serial entrepreneur who founded Xiaomi, is also well-known. Being a significant contributor in open-source communities, sharing personal growth experiences on social media, and being promoted to system architects or IT team leaders who are proactive in the industry have all steered programmers in new directions.

As a result, we will likely modify our perspective to prepare for our future as midlife employees.

Because, as an "older" programmer, you understand the upstream and downstream of the IT ecosystem; you have a clear understanding of delivering customer-recognized products; you are aware of the specific problems that the Dev team may encounter at critical points, and you know how to find solutions and how much it will cost at each link.

As long as you dedicate yourself to the programming business and can produce exceptional code, you have no need to fear being laid off in the future since you have established an industry-specific proactive capability and sensibility. In addition to private firms, choosing to work for a state-owned enterprise (SOE) is an advantageous career choice.

The age of 35 is unavoidable. Rather than being confined to a single perspective, you may shift your perspective to escape the bog and enter a brighter future.

Ultimately, our existence continues along regardless of an individual's presence.

A programmer of 35 years of age should aim for proficiency and audacity commensurate with their age. Reliable strategies include:

Conserving money to survive through economic downturns.

Investing in yourself to acquire talents that can be utilized over the long term.

Immersing yourself in a certain industry where you are a major player.

The midlife crisis, particularly the 35-year-old problem, appears to be a growing worry in China's Internet business, where the vast majority of programmers are acutely aware.

However, a complex problem cannot be resolved unless its fundamental cause is identified. The crux of this issue is that corporations lack developer-friendly methods and demonstrate minimal empathy. Only by altering the employment ethic will the 35-year-old dilemma be resolved.

Only people may alter themselves.

Li Zonsheng, a well-known musician, recently remarked, "In life, you may choose to work hard or get by, but you may frequently return to hard effort once you have had the taste of getting by." Therefore, even in midlife, do not pass on any possibility.

The answers to the issues of whether programmers achieve their career peak at age 35 and if you should work as a programmer for the rest of your life rely on your prepared views.

Drop your uneasiness and unease, and live in tranquility and serenity. Let the past pass and let the future arrive.