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64 and unemployed: One man's struggle to be taken seriously as a job applicant

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Re: 64 and unemployed: One man's struggle to be taken seriously as a job applicant

#31

Post by Zigurd »

So far, this hasn't been my experience. I've written books. I have a very strong network among funders and experienced management. I'm probably in the top few percent of candidates my age because I consciously built those advantages, some of which can't be reproduced by everyone in my age cohort looking for a job. But, just because I saw ageism coming at me, doesn't mean that it is excusable.

Age discrimination is something that needs to be eradicated in tech as much as sexism and racism. I won't mince words: I mean sexism and racism, not "lack of diversity." Ageism is just as bad. Investors: If your portfolio is infected with these diseases, it raises your risk. Inoculate against it. Don't fund diseased founders.

Re: 64 and unemployed: One man's struggle to be taken seriously as a job applicant

#32

Post by crispyambulance »

towaway1138 wrote: post #15

I'm only in my 50s, but this is very relateable. Did a couple dozen interviews a year or two ago before finally getting a bite. Somewhat amazingly, even passed the hiring committee at a FANG, only to get swatted down by a rare strike from the executive level. In one interview, was asked to produce a class that could serialize and deserialize a list of numbers, to/from a string of chars. Sure, it's not that hard. Took…

I find it disturbing he can't find work as a project manager. If anything, that's one role where the practitioners typically know fuck-all about nothing and where good ones are worth their weight in gold.

I LOVE to work with ADULT project managers who have a clue about how projects actually unfold and how things actually get done with a wide variety of personalities in the mix. Instead, more often than not, you get 20-30-something "management fast-track" wannabe's who could not solve a problem to save their lives.

Re: 64 and unemployed: One man's struggle to be taken seriously as a job applicant

#35

Post by Aeolun »

maxxxxx wrote: post #4
4thaccount wrote: post #3

Heartbreaking. I'm only partially in what could be considered tech, but I constantly try to move groups in my industry every few years to constantly pick up new skills. I honestly think I have enough random skills now: databases, programming, systems integration, mastery of a variety of common industry tools, project leadership, specific domain theory and understanding of the math that underlays my industry. However,…

The problem with tech is that if you did something just a few years ago you are considered "outdated" and this experience doesn't count. For example I wrote heavy duty C++ code until 2012 for more than 10 years but during interviews I often get zero credit for this experience. "You haven't used C++ 17".

Yeah, only the last 2 years matter.

It’s really funny, because I’d never worked in Node.js until like 6 months ago, but everyone at the company seemed to think I had years of experience.

It’s surprising how well skills transfer.

Re: 64 and unemployed: One man's struggle to be taken seriously as a job applicant

#36

Post by devonkim »

justaguyhere wrote: post #11
maxxxxx wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with tech is that if you did something just a few years ago you are considered "outdated" and this experience doesn't count. For example I wrote heavy duty C++ code until 2012 for more than 10 years but during interviews I often get zero credit for this experience. "You haven't used C++ 17".

When I was on my first job, we got a resume from someone twenty years older than us. Her resume was tossed aside quickly, but I fought with HR to get her to interview with us. She easily turned out to be the best hire ever for our team - she didn't know Java from assembly, but her common sense and problem solving abilities were orders of magnitude higher than any of the "young, hip, programming wizards" in the compan…

To me, this is what bugs me about the “diversity” brigade - most of the time the conversation is based around ethnicity, physical abilities, or gender but for being long-term thinking we seem to have forgotten that diversity means _everyone_ that can contribute, including age / experience. Simply being old doesn’t necessarily make you better or faster, but it does tend to give you skills. Skills that were acquired over a long career. Skills that make them a nightmare for obscure bugs.

Some folks I’ve hired were older than my father but I valued them for their experience in other industries and to lend their perspectives to how things should be. It is heartbreaking to think that we could be throwing away thousands or millions of man years of valuable lessons - some we should repeat and others we shouldn’t.

Re: 64 and unemployed: One man's struggle to be taken seriously as a job applicant

#37

Post by warent »

towaway1138 wrote: post #15

I'm only in my 50s, but this is very relateable. Did a couple dozen interviews a year or two ago before finally getting a bite. Somewhat amazingly, even passed the hiring committee at a FANG, only to get swatted down by a rare strike from the executive level. In one interview, was asked to produce a class that could serialize and deserialize a list of numbers, to/from a string of chars. Sure, it's not that hard. Took…

I sincerely hope you were just being facetious in the last line. There's a ton someone with your experience could do such as write books, consultation, coaching, etc.

Re: 64 and unemployed: One man's struggle to be taken seriously as a job applicant

#38

Post by UnpossibleJim »

skizm wrote: post #29

I feel like there is less of a stigma for older contractors. Might be a good idea if you’re getting older in a tech career to shift from full time to contract work?

Health insurance is a son of a bitch when you're older, though =[ it's not necessarily a bad plan, but those insurance rates go through the roof.

Re: 64 and unemployed: One man's struggle to be taken seriously as a job applicant

#39

Post by __float »

harlanji wrote: post #7

Work-to-hire needs to be more prevalent. Start this guy off as a janitor so he can work his way up. No American feels above mopping floors, in case you, hiring manager, were unaware. Source: unemployed techie who gardens and moves in Silicon Valley, for people who would love to hire me if they had a computer job and is dodged by recruiters.

...why should he start as a janitor when he has years of experience doing the jobs he's apply for?

Re: 64 and unemployed: One man's struggle to be taken seriously as a job applicant

#40

Post by csa »

towaway1138 wrote: post #15

I'm only in my 50s, but this is very relateable. Did a couple dozen interviews a year or two ago before finally getting a bite. Somewhat amazingly, even passed the hiring committee at a FANG, only to get swatted down by a rare strike from the executive level. In one interview, was asked to produce a class that could serialize and deserialize a list of numbers, to/from a string of chars. Sure, it's not that hard. Took…

Check out jobs with the federal government and/or with government contractors. The work might not be as sexy or as lucrative (although sometimes it is), but the pay is stable (lolol... shutdowns notwithstanding) at a middle-class level.

The government is desperate for people who can code.

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