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Ageism Haunts Some Tech Workers in the Race to Get Hired

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Re: Ageism Haunts Some Tech Workers in the Race to Get Hired

#91

Post by danielmarkbruce »

swatcoder wrote: post #40

When I was coming up a long while back, there were exciting employers that filled their ranks with ambitious recent grads and lavished them with ping pong tables and soda fountains in the "war room" full of knock-off Aeron chairs and various configurations of conference tables. We'd work crazy hours and move fast with tools we didn't really understand. Most of us would get laid off multiple times as the companies we…

aka, seemingly boring enterprise software is the place to go. Some of them are actually very good places.

Re: Ageism Haunts Some Tech Workers in the Race to Get Hired

#92

Post by [deleted] »

torginus wrote: post #67
panzagl wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Depends on how you define 'the field'- if you mean SV cutting edge unicorn selling ad stuff, then yes. If you include some place like Lockheed Martin or Northrup Grumman doing boring non-cutting edge stuff like aerospace or signal analysis, then no.

>doing boring non-cutting edge stuff like aerospace or signal analysis hehe, how the world has changed

[deleted]

Re: Ageism Haunts Some Tech Workers in the Race to Get Hired

#93

Post by paxys »

ThrowawayR2 wrote: post #70
paxys wrote: post #27

The article calls it an "open secret" in the industry, but it isn't even much of a secret. Most companies have explicit "manage up or manage out" policies for engineers, which means that if you have been at a certain level for too many years you get fired and replaced by someone younger. They say you need to work hard and get promoted to senior staff/principal/director/VP, but then the promo budget says only 2 people…

Dunno where you've worked but up-or-out ejects most people destined for "out" long, long before they reach the point where ageism is even a consideration.

Are you saying that no company has ever fired an experienced engineer?

Re: Ageism Haunts Some Tech Workers in the Race to Get Hired

#94

Post by elwell »

swatcoder wrote: post #40

When I was coming up a long while back, there were exciting employers that filled their ranks with ambitious recent grads and lavished them with ping pong tables and soda fountains in the "war room" full of knock-off Aeron chairs and various configurations of conference tables. We'd work crazy hours and move fast with tools we didn't really understand. Most of us would get laid off multiple times as the companies we…

> middle aged engineers in goatees

This is a 2x'er; full neckbeard is 10x.

Re: Ageism Haunts Some Tech Workers in the Race to Get Hired

#95

Post by hightrix »

slibhb wrote: post #25
Kluggy wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Our industry isn't powered by the rare genius, but by the magnitude of line coders that the best impact they can do is just not cause issues as they develop the next version that adds feature x and y promised by some sales engineer to a big client. Sure, by 40 you're not likely to change the world. But in your 20's, you're not likely to change the world either. It's a long shot. Focusing on the fact that the long sho…

Geniuses follow the same curve as virtually everyone else. Humans are most active, energetic and quick in our late teens to early 30s and fall off steadily after that. People in this thread need to ask themselves why they're engaging in age-denialism.

As a self proclaimed genius, you may want to take a step back and question your position. If everyone in the comments is disagreeing with you, that may be a signal that you are missing due to your own bias.

Re: Ageism Haunts Some Tech Workers in the Race to Get Hired

#96

Post by gostintheshell »

antod wrote: post #60
georgeecollins wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How about: We're not sure the team will be comfortable working with someone so experienced. Pretty obvious what that was about.

Sheesh - what a lame statement. All the juniors I've worked with are very keen to learn from us old timers, and likewise their enthusiasm and energy rubs off on us. It's a win-win as far as I'm concerned.

I think some organizations, groups or individuals are more about having all the right traits and buzzword experience on the CV and are more afraid of being disillusioned about anything that is part of that kind of goal than interested in really solving problems or learning skills to actually do so.

Re: Ageism Haunts Some Tech Workers in the Race to Get Hired

#97

Post by Hnrobert42 »

paxys wrote: post #93
ThrowawayR2 wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dunno where you've worked but up-or-out ejects most people destined for "out" long, long before they reach the point where ageism is even a consideration.

Are you saying that no company has ever fired an experienced engineer?

I mean of course that’s not what they are saying. Are you just picking a fight?

Re: Ageism Haunts Some Tech Workers in the Race to Get Hired

#98

Post by jasondigitized »

gosub100 wrote: post #55
imbusy111 wrote: post #29

I did feel a disadvantage myself when I was job searching a few months ago, but for me it was my personal attitude coming through more than anyone judging me by my age. I felt that I just cannot get excited anymore about some of the bullshit the company leadership is throwing around, and neither could I overlook the massive mistakes the companies are making based on my own interview questions. But I do understand tha…

I've had a similar attitude issue, not due to lack of excitement but just being more blunt, assertive, and fearless than I was as a junior. I'm not a total jerk completely missing a verbal filter, but I definitely have a shorter fuse and ended up getting let go last year for being rough with an inept coworker (politics were against me as a consultant too). I guess I need to cage my rage a little bit.

This. A lot of younger folks confuse assertiveness with being confrontational. I made a tactful suggestion that maybe our agendas are too full because we start every meeting ten minutes late. That was too confrontational according to my boss. Lol. I just can’t be quiet when table stakes stuff like this is happening.

Re: Ageism Haunts Some Tech Workers in the Race to Get Hired

#99

Post by kevinventullo »

cod1r wrote: post #66

I definitely feel like it's the opposite. A lot of jobs require a proven track record with the number of years being like 5+ YOE. I graduated last may and still haven't gotten any offers. That being said, it's probably just me having a skill issue XD.

For what it’s worth, it’s a lot harder to get a job right now than it was even just a few years ago.

Re: Ageism Haunts Some Tech Workers in the Race to Get Hired

#100

Post by andybak »

SuperNinKenDo wrote: post #52

Ageism is pretty much only talked about when it affects older people. Younger people - broadly millenials and younger - have just had to make piece with the ageism they've faced their entire lives and continue to face. I understand that one day I'll be old too, but my sympathies are limited and it'll be nothing truly new for us when people start dismissing us for being old, since people have been dismissing us for be…

> younger people [...] faced ageism their whole lives.

You didn't really read that part through before posting, did you?

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