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I keep hearing that it's like this in the US. In the UK I don't know anyone in their 40s struggling to find software developer jobs in the UK! I'm almost 40 an

by LandR 6y ago

I keep hearing that it's like this in the US. In the UK I don't know anyone in their 40s struggling to find software developer jobs in the UK! I'm almost 40 and are constantly getting harassed by recruiters. My mate in his 60s not long ago got hired for a software developer role, and easily at that. Two interviews and he got an offer. Another mate near 40 stepped back from manager type role into a developer role, and his age is not an issue.

ozim 6y ago
I'd say in the Netherlands it looks almost the same I am 33 and usually work with people in their 40's. Seems like all kids are moving to US and take jobs of older people :)
devnullbyte 6y ago
Me to mate. I think its silicon valley thing. I am 48 and having a blast in my career now, I am getting my hands on all sorts of interesting things to learn. The only people who I have seen struggle with this are those who just go stale. I have friend who is a C++ programmer, and for 30 years all he has worked on is some logic controller software used in trains and energy systems. He is getting close to retirement, but if things go tits up due to COVIDs impact, he will very likely be unemployable. Me on the other hand. I get daily connect requests and job interests put my way on linked in.
TheOtherHobbes 6y ago
"Cultural fit" SV start-ups need bright shiny twenty-somethings for their "About us" pages and their IG lifestyle feed, with a few wise old thirty-somethings to ride herd on them. It leaves room for the forty-something and fifty-something VCs to do what they enjoy, which is pretending to be the team coach. Put in some wrinkly old guys - or worse, some old women - and there goes your brand identity.
- scarface74 6y ago
  Luckily there is an entire country outside of SV....
- hef19898 6y ago
  Start-ups in general. I had the same experience in the few start-ups I know in Germany. Only result of this is to repeat mistakes over and over again...
tharne 6y ago
I think its more of a SV thing than a U.S. thing. There are a ton of older coders in my industry and having experience, especially if you have domain knowledge in addition to technical skills, is huge. Most companies in my field would gleefully hire a 50 year old coder with domain knowledge over a coding rock star straight out of school who doesn't know the business.
sgt101 6y ago
I think a big factor is health insurance in the USA. If you are in your 40's you probably have a partner and kids. Your company will have to cover all of this, and if the kids get a condition things can be expensive. So, I think that they consciously focus on younger people to drive the costs down.

by LandR 6y ago

ozim 6y ago

I'd say in the Netherlands it looks almost the same I am 33 and usually work with people in their 40's. Seems like all kids are moving to US and take jobs of older people :)

devnullbyte 6y ago

Me to mate. I think its silicon valley thing. I am 48 and having a blast in my career now, I am getting my hands on all sorts of interesting things to learn. The only people who I have seen struggle with this are those who just go stale. I have friend who is a C++ programmer, and for 30 years all he has worked on is some logic controller software used in trains and energy systems. He is getting close to retirement, but if things go tits up due to COVIDs impact, he will very likely be unemployable. Me on the other hand. I get daily connect requests and job interests put my way on linked in.

TheOtherHobbes 6y ago

"Cultural fit" SV start-ups need bright shiny twenty-somethings for their "About us" pages and their IG lifestyle feed, with a few wise old thirty-somethings to ride herd on them. It leaves room for the forty-something and fifty-something VCs to do what they enjoy, which is pretending to be the team coach. Put in some wrinkly old guys - or worse, some old women - and there goes your brand identity.

scarface74 6y ago
Luckily there is an entire country outside of SV....
hef19898 6y ago
Start-ups in general. I had the same experience in the few start-ups I know in Germany. Only result of this is to repeat mistakes over and over again...

tharne 6y ago

I think its more of a SV thing than a U.S. thing. There are a ton of older coders in my industry and having experience, especially if you have domain knowledge in addition to technical skills, is huge. Most companies in my field would gleefully hire a 50 year old coder with domain knowledge over a coding rock star straight out of school who doesn't know the business.

sgt101 6y ago

I think a big factor is health insurance in the USA. If you are in your 40's you probably have a partner and kids. Your company will have to cover all of this, and if the kids get a condition things can be expensive. So, I think that they consciously focus on younger people to drive the costs down.