I'm 49 and still enjoying being a software engineer. Was working for a large financial company a year ago. Finance companies are not my favorite companies but the project was interesting as hell so I jumped from Yahoo to there. Once it was done I moved on. How to do that? You need to do well on the interviews so whatever you know you better brush up to know very well. Your current employer stopped asking details about things a long time ago. Your new one though will. If you are doing Java then reread all about Java's mysteries. Every software interview goes over data structures and algorithms. Take the "Design and Analysis of Algorithms I" through coursera (https://www.coursera.org/algo). It's challenging, get you back into answering questions about algorithms and it's free (as in they haven't figured out how to sell your personal info yet). After 15 years of Java I jumped to iOS development on iPhone/iPad. Get an app out there. If you don't make a million you still have skills that are in demand. I'm forced to do Android some times but the Java background helps there.
Stay technical. For every 1 management job there are 10 technical jobs. You do the math concerning your odds of staying employed. I've never been a consultant/contractor. Maybe I'll do it later when I don't want to work full time.
I've seen people use their domain knowledge to stay employed but it's an iffy situation. If that domain goes down you've got nothing to fall back on. If you really love it stay in it. I've been a mechanical engineer in a past life and if you aren't working as a mechanical engineer the mechanical engineers themselves will just treat you like any other developer. You'll have a better advantage explaining to other developers what the mechanical engineers are saying.
Unless you go to a top 10 school MBAs are close to worthless. Do take finance courses. $1 made on investment is $1 you don't have to make working at a company. You should already be investing a little here and there even if it's just in your 401(k).
Don't worry about the young guys. I keep quiet and by the time they figure out I know a lot more through experience than they do it's too late for them. If you see junk that they do just let them clean it up. These aren't your kids you are picking up after.
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I'm 49 and still enjoying being a software engineer. Was working for a large financial company a year ago. Finance companies are not my favorite companies but the project was interesting as hell so I jumped from Yahoo to there. Once it was done I moved on. How to do that? You need to do well on the interviews so whatever you know you better brush up to know very well. Your current employer stopped asking details about things a long time ago. Your new one though will. If you are doing Java then reread all about Java's mysteries. Every software interview goes over data structures and algorithms. Take the "Design and Analysis of Algorithms I" through coursera (https://www.coursera.org/algo). It's challenging, get you back into answering questions about algorithms and it's free (as in they haven't figured out how to sell your personal info yet). After 15 years of Java I jumped to iOS development on iPhone/iPad. Get an app out there. If you don't make a million you still have skills that are in demand. I'm forced to do Android some times but the Java background helps there. Stay technical. For every 1 management job there are 10 technical jobs. You do the math concerning your odds of staying employed. I've never been a consultant/contractor. Maybe I'll do it later when I don't want to work full time. I've seen people use their domain knowledge to stay employed but it's an iffy situation. If that domain goes down you've got nothing to fall back on. If you really love it stay in it. I've been a mechanical engineer in a past life and if you aren't working as a mechanical engineer the mechanical engineers themselves will just treat you like any other developer. You'll have a better advantage explaining to other developers what the mechanical engineers are saying. Unless you go to a top 10 school MBAs are close to worthless. Do take finance courses. $1 made on investment is $1 you don't have to make working at a company. You should already be investing a little here and there even if it's just in your 401(k). Don't worry about the young guys. I keep quiet and by the time they figure out I know a lot more through experience than they do it's too late for them. If you see junk that they do just let them clean it up. These aren't your kids you are picking up after.