Yes, that was me during the dotcom boom. When I decided to get a new job, I had 2 offers after an intense 2 weeks of interviews. However, once I was in my 40s,

Yes, that was me during the dotcom boom. When I decided to get a new job, I had 2 offers after an intense 2 weeks of interviews. However, once I was in my 40s, it became considerably harder to get a job. I'm now 59, and my career has never truly recovered (and yes, I have reasonably up to date skills). All I can get are contract jobs. Part of the problem is that I am introverted and on the autistic spectrum. I have never interviewed well, and for various reasons, have not maintained a network of people who I can contact to get interviews. And even when an old acquaintance does come thru with an interview, I still have to get thru the leet code questions. Being highly recommended by an employee usually has little influence on whether I get hired. At my age, I actually handle the social part of interviews better than ever, but now I have to deal with age discrimination.