Live data from Hacker News

New Evidence of Age Bias in Hiring, and a Push to Fight It

nytimes.com

441–450 of 451 posts

Re: New Evidence of Age Bias in Hiring, and a Push to Fight It

#442

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is eerily similar to my own story, except that I'm 59 and still alive, so far. I didn't work on drivers; I worked on mostly higher-level stuff (Newton, HyperCard, Quicktime, AppleScript, and several projects that did not ultimately become products). I worked at Apple from 1988 to 1998, and after that moved on to a successful startup. In 2004 for I developed an incurable chronic illness. It was one that is hard t…

Keep yourself alive. Keep looking for work, and stay active and exercise as well. Take care of your illness because it is a tough world out there.

Thanks. That's the plan. I don't think I'm in any danger. Well, not in any danger that we're not all in by virtue of being alive, anyway.

Exercise is tricky. Too much or the wrong kind makes my condition worse. Luckily, over the past few years I've discovered that I can walk several miles a day in modest-sized chunks, and I have a dog who reminds me regularly to do it.

Re: New Evidence of Age Bias in Hiring, and a Push to Fight It

#443
post #30
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Advancement is typically a pyramid, which means not everyone can reach the top. It is impossible for everyone to “be above you in the org chart or retired.”

You made my point better than I did. “Not everyone can reach the top.” Young people have had fewer opportunities to reach the top. Not being at the top is a negative signal that gets stronger every year.

Not being at the top is simply a scaling problem, not an opportunity problem.

Re: New Evidence of Age Bias in Hiring, and a Push to Fight It

#444

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Employment is not an efficient market. Transaction costs are very high, bidding is not public, and utility is a non-linear function of more than just compensation.

It’s not a market at all, because participation, realistically speaking, is involuntary for most sellers. It’s closer to a feudal contract than an actual market.

I love it. Economists are in total denial about such things. EVERYTHING IS A MARKET RUBBER STAMP.

Almost all of the US economy is a monopoly or cartel dominated by 1-3 corporations per segment.

Re: New Evidence of Age Bias in Hiring, and a Push to Fight It

#446
post #411
post #398

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AT 36, you would of hit the internet explosions about spot on, prior to the PC days with mainframes and `corporate/government ` structure it was not easy at all. Late 90's was the internet boom time and there was a real sudden shortage in skills back then and it was easier. I was taught programming in school (well, actually self taught from magazines like Byte, computer World and Unix World and a ZX81) in the early 8…

Yes, I'm sure I had it easier as there were a lot more jobs requiring programming at the turn of the century than 20 years prior! My point was - is it actually harder for people 15 years younger than me to start up?

Many examples of people in that age having started up on their own, be it some wondrous website thru to a mobile phone app.

Ease of access to consumers with the likes of ebay or app stores and lower running costs into breaking into those avenues have opened up many an avenue that was harder to access before.

But that is progress, come 50+, you may end up having the same perspective in relation to when you started out and starting out today.

Re: New Evidence of Age Bias in Hiring, and a Push to Fight It

#447

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s not a market at all, because participation, realistically speaking, is involuntary for most sellers. It’s closer to a feudal contract than an actual market.

I love it. Economists are in total denial about such things. EVERYTHING IS A MARKET RUBBER STAMP. Almost all of the US economy is a monopoly or cartel dominated by 1-3 corporations per segment.

Yep. Glad that there are at least a few people whose brains haven't been turned to mush by decades of propaganda and inflexible market fundamentalist orthodoxy.

Re: New Evidence of Age Bias in Hiring, and a Push to Fight It

#448

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 7x24x365 7x24x52 or 24x365 ;^)

The phrase is colloquial not technical and is meant to represent nights(24) weekends(7) and holidays(365).

But it was funny and well placed snark :)

Re: New Evidence of Age Bias in Hiring, and a Push to Fight It

#449

I'm 47 and have run my own companies, exited some of them with handsome returns, enjoyed many cool start-up projects, worked for some fortune-50 companies, have an IQ that is through the roof, but despite everything, since around 7 years am unable to get a job. Mostly I'm "overqualified" or "just too old" ... never mind I am still hands-on and happy to just get paid whatever the Junior gets, but nobody is interested.…

I'm sorry this happened to you sir and hope that you are in a better place now.

Re: New Evidence of Age Bias in Hiring, and a Push to Fight It

#450
post #424

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I gut nervous and forgot the easiest of questions. I lost my confidence. My mind went blank, my hands, nerves shaking. Couldn't write complete code or even sentences I think at times. It was bad. I was intimidated for no reason. This happens to me too. > Will it ever end or am I stuck grinding for the rest of my career (life)? Will I ever be able just breathe and relax again? I'm not on the West coast, but intervie…

I'm currently in Minneapolis, downtown proper. I even own a condo in the middle of downtown. I don't even need a car and buses galore and multiple trains as well as a skyway for bad weather all within a block or less. I have Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Mall of America at my access. Oh, I'm also making 6 figures already. That said, doubling my salary a Big-N for a few years and getting experience at a larger…

[deleted]
Post reply on HN