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I found myself applying for jobs recently. One of the startups that contacted me was founded by three 2015 graduates. I am 41. I cancelled the interview. Ther

I found myself applying for jobs recently. One of the startups that contacted me was founded by three 2015 graduates. I am 41. I cancelled the interview. There was no way in my mind that I could work with these three folks. It was as good as being from different planets. What I am trying to say is that maybe ageism is a two way street, and maybe it’s just normal. Generation gap and all.

neilv 7y ago
Why didn't you think you could work with them? 2015 graduates probably have at least a couple years real experience, which is a huge difference over fresh out of school (and a lot of people coast after that, anyway). Even new college grads can start figuring things out. And there's so much possible to know today, no one person can know it all, and even a top veteran engineer can learn some things from NCGs. I look for companies where people want to do good work, on good things, are capable, yet intellectually humble, and treat everyone as respected colleagues.
- noncoml 7y ago
  Maybe my comment came out wrong. It’s not about their(or my) technical skills. Technical compatibility is not enough for a team to work closely and efficiently IMHO
  - neilv 7y ago
    True, though it sounded like them only having a few years experience was a showstopper on its own (no other factors, like their mission blurb was unappealing), in this case? Maybe we're back to your original statement, about ageism being a two-way street sometimes. I appreciate your candor in mentioning it. Were you thinking of particular things, like "they'll make bad decisions, or won't have much experience executing", or "they'll probably be on drugs, and the company picnic will be extreme snowboarding", or something else?
    - TomMarius 7y ago
      Maybe it's simply about them being two generations younger? E.g. people in their 20's have never suffered communism while my father has lived through the socialist normalisation AND the Velvet Revolution, my grandfather fought in WW2 and then lived in stalinist communism and my great-grandfather was in Austrian Imperial Army and then Czechoslovak Legions in Russia during the WW1.
      - slavik81 7y ago
        Perhaps their grandfathers lived through the socialist normalization, their great grandfathers fought in WW2, and their great-great grandfathers were in the army. It sounds like you can relate to people older than you. Maybe they can do the same. It's worth giving people a chance.
        TomMarius 7y ago
        Oh yeah, of course, but maybe someone (certainly not me) doesn't want to. We should let them be themselves.

neilv 7y ago

Why didn't you think you could work with them? 2015 graduates probably have at least a couple years real experience, which is a huge difference over fresh out of school (and a lot of people coast after that, anyway). Even new college grads can start figuring things out. And there's so much possible to know today, no one person can know it all, and even a top veteran engineer can learn some things from NCGs. I look for companies where people want to do good work, on good things, are capable, yet intellectually humble, and treat everyone as respected colleagues.

noncoml 7y ago
Maybe my comment came out wrong. It’s not about their(or my) technical skills. Technical compatibility is not enough for a team to work closely and efficiently IMHO
- neilv 7y ago
  True, though it sounded like them only having a few years experience was a showstopper on its own (no other factors, like their mission blurb was unappealing), in this case? Maybe we're back to your original statement, about ageism being a two-way street sometimes. I appreciate your candor in mentioning it. Were you thinking of particular things, like "they'll make bad decisions, or won't have much experience executing", or "they'll probably be on drugs, and the company picnic will be extreme snowboarding", or something else?
  - TomMarius 7y ago
    Maybe it's simply about them being two generations younger? E.g. people in their 20's have never suffered communism while my father has lived through the socialist normalisation AND the Velvet Revolution, my grandfather fought in WW2 and then lived in stalinist communism and my great-grandfather was in Austrian Imperial Army and then Czechoslovak Legions in Russia during the WW1.
    - slavik81 7y ago
      Perhaps their grandfathers lived through the socialist normalization, their great grandfathers fought in WW2, and their great-great grandfathers were in the army. It sounds like you can relate to people older than you. Maybe they can do the same. It's worth giving people a chance.
      - TomMarius 7y ago
        Oh yeah, of course, but maybe someone (certainly not me) doesn't want to. We should let them be themselves.