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Show HN: Hire an Oldster

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Re: Show HN: Hire an Oldster

#111

Post by paulcole »

enraged_camel wrote: post #96
maerF0x0 wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> unwilling to run the same 60 hour gauntlet that a 25 year old _can_ etc. Older people _can_ run 60 hour gauntlets. We're just wise enough to know that it leads to no good outcome.

I think it's a matter of degree. A two week crunch time every 6 months is OK, maybe even beneficial. Every month though? Not OK, and definitely detrimental.

> A two week crunch time every 6 months is OK, maybe even beneficial

Being overworked nearly 10% of the time is not "OK"

Re: Show HN: Hire an Oldster

#112

Post by KZeillmann »

bitwize wrote: post #107
maerF0x0 wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> unwilling to run the same 60 hour gauntlet that a 25 year old _can_ etc. Older people _can_ run 60 hour gauntlets. We're just wise enough to know that it leads to no good outcome.

That wisdom makes you of negative business value to your manager, since he still believes 60-hour gauntlets are an intrinsic part of being on time and under budget. Hence, you won't get hired.

I'd be happy not to be hired by such a manager. Crunch time happens sometimes, and you gotta do what you gotta do. But 60 hour weeks as a matter of course are a dealbreaker for me.

Re: Show HN: Hire an Oldster

#113

Post by sparrish »

suprgeek wrote: post #74

As an oldster - two things that I really wish my younger self would have intimately realized. 1) As a software person your are employed to Solve Business Problems - NOT to write code, NOT to write tests, NOT to hack on platforms, NOT to be Agile. Solve the problem (or add the feature) - never lose sight of this. The value you bring is directly related to this. 2) People outside software development don't give a flyin…

I agree with both of these and would only add a #3.

"No matter how much you try, you can’t stop people from sticking beans up their nose." https://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2011/07/08/beans-and-noses/

The earlier you accept this, the farther ahead you'll be.

Re: Show HN: Hire an Oldster

#114

Post by robotresearcher »

marcell wrote: post #108
nervousvarun wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is fundamentally true and basically is a great anecdotal argument for why we have the concept of a PE. Edit: Context is America and also obviously this isn't a thing in software but is very much the normal way of doing business in classical engineering.

What is a PE?

Professional Engineer. It's an anointed position from an association of engineers, like an old-time guild. There's a duty to mentor youngsters, and a requirement for youngsters to spend time being mentored before getting PE status themselves.

Re: Show HN: Hire an Oldster

#115

Post by GFischer »

marcell wrote: post #108
nervousvarun wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is fundamentally true and basically is a great anecdotal argument for why we have the concept of a PE. Edit: Context is America and also obviously this isn't a thing in software but is very much the normal way of doing business in classical engineering.

What is a PE?

I hope he clarifies, but I think it stands for Principal Engineer.

Re: Show HN: Hire an Oldster

#116

Post by epalmer »

overcast wrote: post #102
epalmer wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm 63 with a BS in Chemistry and MS in Environmental Systems Engineer. I was a student teacher of microbiology when I was in graduate school. I started coding fortran in HS about 1969 or 1970. > I'm pretty knowledgeable about paid search and social but I don't think my Political Science degree has anything to do with that. To imply that someone's age precludes them from understanding paid search, mobile advertising,…

Sorry, you run 154+ sites?

Sure do.

Re: Show HN: Hire an Oldster

#117

Post by JoblessWonder »

adamqureshi wrote: post #11
JoblessWonder wrote: post #5

Deja Vu.... Didn't we just have OldGeekJobs posted on here a while ago?

Dang i gotta add a job board!

Well, I mean, I didn't post it just so you could put the other guy out of business... :) I liked what both of you are doing!

Re: Show HN: Hire an Oldster

#120

Post by dahdum »

maerF0x0 wrote: post #82
aresant wrote: post #42

If you take a survey of hiring managers they will point to three primary reasons that candidates 40 - 60 have a harder time finding jobs: 1) They are typically more expensive than "market" for the same role a younger person can fulfill at acceptable tradeoff of competency - higher salaries, higher related costs like healthcare for a family, expectations around retirement programs, etc. 2) They are less flexible - the…

> unwilling to run the same 60 hour gauntlet that a 25 year old _can_ etc. Older people _can_ run 60 hour gauntlets. We're just wise enough to know that it leads to no good outcome.

Older people are more likely to have stable homes, relationships, expenses and goals. This can also translate into a "comfortable groove" of 60+ hour weeks that goes on indefinitely, simply because it's not a grueling ordeal.
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