The Future of A GenX Software Engineer Professional & Davos 2026

I have always had something to focus on.Graduate high school. Get my bachelor’s degree. Get an advanced degree. Then find a job.

I grew up in a time when you found a job and stayed there until it was time to retire—often with guaranteed lifetime annuities. There was respect for, and value placed on, experienced workers. Today’s world is anything but that. People do not stay in one job. Retirement is something you manage yourself through 401(k)s and similar plans. And experienced workers are often shunned—or quietly pushed out—rather than valued.

I now find myself navigating this very terrain.

For the last couple of years, I’ve been living in an uncomfortable state of flux, and this is new for me. As a GenXer, I should be established… right? I should be the SME (Subject Matter Expert)… right? Or I should be a manager… right?

My discomfort comes from the fact that I am none of these.

After living off my savings for a while now, I find myself starting over from scratch.

Due to long stretches in unfavorable work environments—and the deep burnout that followed—my interest in traditional software engineering has waned. Along with that, I haven’t stayed fully current with programming advances. Regaining the energy to do so has been a struggle. Because of this, becoming an SME in software engineering is no longer viable for me. That’s not to say that I don’t like programming anymore – I do!

Becoming a manager is completely off the table. Beyond managing myself, I have no interest in managing others—especially in the current IT environment, which is not friendly to women, much less African American women. My burnout has left me unwilling to navigate that level of resistance any longer.

And yet—with all of this—there is something that still interests me within IT.

As I came to terms with my burnout, I continued searching for software engineering roles and quickly realized something else: the job-search advice for people over 50 is no longer viable. GenXers are often labeled “digital immigrants”—those who reached adulthood before widespread internet access—yet we are also described as pioneers of the digital age. Telling GenXers to “stay computer savvy” is laughable, in my opinion.

To suggest that GenXers aren’t hired because programming languages change too quickly ignores the fact that we have been working through constant technological change from the very beginning.

Advocating for GenX working rights.

My original plan was to document my journey toward a new career. That proved difficult—how do you document something when you have no focus? I’ve been all over the place with it. That changed when I began reading about the Davos 2026 World Economic Forum and the role GenXers play in the global economy.

That’s when it became clear: I have been writing, thinking, and quietly advocating for GenX workers’ rights all along—even if, until now, it was only for myself. I couldn’t see it at the time, but this is where my focus has been.

In Conclusion

At Davos 2026, there were discussions around what they call the “Longevity Economy” and the “Great Unretirement.” Rising costs of living and shifting pension structures are driving many workers over 50 back into the workforce. Much of what was discussed mirrored thoughts I’ve been having for years.

One initiative stood out in particular: a push for age-inclusive job design—flexible hours, ergonomic remote setups, and healthcare support—to keep the 50+ demographic economically active longer.

I have been searching for my next career move. I want to remain in the IT field—but not as a software engineer and not as a manager—and I want to work remotely. I believe this path allows all three.

The “Great Unretirement” applies across industries, but focusing on software engineering gives me a lens that can ultimately support many other fields as well.

And, hopefully, it will also give me the time and space to work on my novel.