[darkerside]

I'm gonna be real with you here. You're not as good as a 5yoe employee, because people are expected to grow. Nobody hires a junior dev because they want a junior dev for 20 years. They hire a junior because they think the person has potential to grow into a senior dev over time.

Over 20 years, you've not demonstrated that growth, and so it makes more sense for a prospective employer to assume that lack of growth will continue. Compare to a junior dev who can bring the same productivity today, but could rise to the level of principal or staff over the long term.

For the record, I would bet that this picture doesn't match reality. My guess is that you've developed knowledge and skills that would make you much more valuable than you might think. But, you are expected to demonstrate them and use them on the job. Good luck!

[rr808]

I kinda agree, but as its common for people to change jobs every year or 3 I'm not convinced employers really look for people to develop.