6 ms·

I know agism is rampant in this industry, but it still shocks me. I'm 23 and relatively junior at ~1YOE. The "grey beards" I've worked with have all been incred

I know agism is rampant in this industry, but it still shocks me. I'm 23 and relatively junior at ~1YOE. The "grey beards" I've worked with have all been incredibly technically proficient and a joy to work with. The skill and ability and depth of experience held by my older coworkers makes me grateful to have the opportunity to work with and learn from them. To any older individuals here still working in tech, please don't feel unwanted. Your experience is needed and appreciated, especially by the juniors who get to work with you.

chasd00 4y ago
Agism can cut both ways so i'll add that i'm 46 and have been continually impressed with the younger people on my teams. Smart, hardworking, and dedicated. I've learned as much from recent college grads as I have taught them so it's definitely a two way street.
- qorrect 4y ago
  > I've learned as much from recent college grads as I have taught them so it's definitely a two way street. Can you talk more about what you learned ?
- wink 4y ago
  I think the main problem are people who have this weird (to me) take that you can't be at eye level or form friendships with a huge age gap. Maybe it has helped that I've had friends a lot older than myself when I was ~20 (and not just my 50y old parents as the only reference point of older adults), but also at work. If people with 20 years of experience explain why they are correct and not "because I say so" it's a good experience, same as with people fresh off university - some are eager to listen when you tell them why it will fail and some will just believe you're the old grumpy neckbeard.
  - 8n4vidtmkvmk 4y ago
    ya.. friendships with huge age gap was weird to me until i hit 30 and realized we're all just people and i should probably stop thinking about older folks like "parents" or "proper adults" and maybe we can legit be friends. now i see young folks and wonder how they think about me. don't know where i fit anymore
  - ChrisMarshallNY 4y ago
    I have been involved in a Fellowship that allows me to have a pretty vast array of friends (and frienemies). I have friends that are 40 years younger than me, and 20 years older than me. I'm quite used to getting some great wisdom and support from folks that differ from me, in many ways (age is actually one of the least important differentiators). > To any older individuals here still working in tech, please don't feel unwanted. Sadly, in my case, it is too late for that. The message was delivered at 100 decibels, and was received, five-by-five. The ones most aggressively delivering the message were recruiters, but I was greeted with almost naked hostility, even after "getting in the door." It was made quite clear, that I am not welcome, and it had nothing at all to do with my technical merits, as the interviews almost never even got that far. But it all turned out OK, in the long run. Some companies missed out on me, but I am quite sure they aren't regretting it one bit. It's quite likely that the people that interviewed me, aren't even with their companies, anymore.
- digitalsankhara 4y ago
  I'm 64 and still coding strong (UK NHS) and I'm planning to delay retirement (officially next year) for another couple of years. I've been a full time professional in computing since 1996. I've only experienced a bit of age related 'you old fart' stick from a younger colleague once but on the whole, like you say, I've been impressed with my younger cohort. Love to see, learn and be around that energy. And it's great to be able to bring something to the table based on my experience. A respectful and egalitarian attitude goes a long way.
Waterluvian 4y ago
I’ve worked with both. Almost 50/50 between “I have so much to learn from you” and “it hurts to watch you flail around every week.” It’s frustrating because I want more of the former in my career.
nonzoomer200 4y ago
efa 4y ago
You're still too young. Wait til you've worked five years and you know everything. ;-) That's what I've seen. Young folks learn latest language/framework/tool/etc and decide the old stuff the grey beards use is antiquated. Then you get real old and realize there is nothing new under the sun (usually) and there was a reason the gray beards were doing it the way they were.
aposm 4y ago
Exactly the same experience - coming from school where it's almost all PhD students and postdocs (a few years older than me) the industry where some of my most valuable teammates are the greybeards, it was a bit of a shock - but now I understand how valuable experience really is.
greyhair 4y ago
I have had the great joy of working with younger peers over the last two decades. Still working, but at a small company, and the youngest coworker is in their 50s. I miss having recent college grads around. We did have an intern prior to COVID, a really bright young man (Hi Josh, if your see this), that returned after graduation, but he found a more suitable job within a year. I have been happy about how technically proficient some of my young coworkers have been over the years. One thing I do try to bring to the table, particularly with new hires, is explaining how much money they are earning compared to their age peers, how learning to live within your pay, day one, while saving a little every month, will make a huge difference in your life, not just when you are really old, but even after just ten years. It is the one life experience that older workers can share, that will make a lifetime of change for incoming hires, particularly those fresh out of college.

chasd00 4y ago

Agism can cut both ways so i'll add that i'm 46 and have been continually impressed with the younger people on my teams. Smart, hardworking, and dedicated. I've learned as much from recent college grads as I have taught them so it's definitely a two way street.

qorrect 4y ago
> I've learned as much from recent college grads as I have taught them so it's definitely a two way street. Can you talk more about what you learned ?
wink 4y ago
I think the main problem are people who have this weird (to me) take that you can't be at eye level or form friendships with a huge age gap. Maybe it has helped that I've had friends a lot older than myself when I was ~20 (and not just my 50y old parents as the only reference point of older adults), but also at work. If people with 20 years of experience explain why they are correct and not "because I say so" it's a good experience, same as with people fresh off university - some are eager to listen when you tell them why it will fail and some will just believe you're the old grumpy neckbeard.
- 8n4vidtmkvmk 4y ago
  ya.. friendships with huge age gap was weird to me until i hit 30 and realized we're all just people and i should probably stop thinking about older folks like "parents" or "proper adults" and maybe we can legit be friends. now i see young folks and wonder how they think about me. don't know where i fit anymore
- ChrisMarshallNY 4y ago
  I have been involved in a Fellowship that allows me to have a pretty vast array of friends (and frienemies). I have friends that are 40 years younger than me, and 20 years older than me. I'm quite used to getting some great wisdom and support from folks that differ from me, in many ways (age is actually one of the least important differentiators). > To any older individuals here still working in tech, please don't feel unwanted. Sadly, in my case, it is too late for that. The message was delivered at 100 decibels, and was received, five-by-five. The ones most aggressively delivering the message were recruiters, but I was greeted with almost naked hostility, even after "getting in the door." It was made quite clear, that I am not welcome, and it had nothing at all to do with my technical merits, as the interviews almost never even got that far. But it all turned out OK, in the long run. Some companies missed out on me, but I am quite sure they aren't regretting it one bit. It's quite likely that the people that interviewed me, aren't even with their companies, anymore.
digitalsankhara 4y ago
I'm 64 and still coding strong (UK NHS) and I'm planning to delay retirement (officially next year) for another couple of years. I've been a full time professional in computing since 1996. I've only experienced a bit of age related 'you old fart' stick from a younger colleague once but on the whole, like you say, I've been impressed with my younger cohort. Love to see, learn and be around that energy. And it's great to be able to bring something to the table based on my experience. A respectful and egalitarian attitude goes a long way.

Waterluvian 4y ago

I’ve worked with both. Almost 50/50 between “I have so much to learn from you” and “it hurts to watch you flail around every week.” It’s frustrating because I want more of the former in my career.

nonzoomer200 4y ago

efa 4y ago

You're still too young. Wait til you've worked five years and you know everything. ;-) That's what I've seen. Young folks learn latest language/framework/tool/etc and decide the old stuff the grey beards use is antiquated. Then you get real old and realize there is nothing new under the sun (usually) and there was a reason the gray beards were doing it the way they were.

aposm 4y ago

Exactly the same experience - coming from school where it's almost all PhD students and postdocs (a few years older than me) the industry where some of my most valuable teammates are the greybeards, it was a bit of a shock - but now I understand how valuable experience really is.

greyhair 4y ago

I have had the great joy of working with younger peers over the last two decades. Still working, but at a small company, and the youngest coworker is in their 50s. I miss having recent college grads around. We did have an intern prior to COVID, a really bright young man (Hi Josh, if your see this), that returned after graduation, but he found a more suitable job within a year. I have been happy about how technically proficient some of my young coworkers have been over the years. One thing I do try to bring to the table, particularly with new hires, is explaining how much money they are earning compared to their age peers, how learning to live within your pay, day one, while saving a little every month, will make a huge difference in your life, not just when you are really old, but even after just ten years. It is the one life experience that older workers can share, that will make a lifetime of change for incoming hires, particularly those fresh out of college.