I'll hit 40 this year, and have been in more demand in my last five years than I have earlier in my career. I think there are engineering areas & companies whic

I'll hit 40 this year, and have been in more demand in my last five years than I have earlier in my career. I think there are engineering areas & companies which really don't need anything more than a recent graduate. For those needs, it doesn't make sense to hire someone at higher salary and experience levels. However, there are technical areas that strongly benefit from experience. I can't really advise what those areas are exactly. It depends on your personal history and interests, and there are a lot of short sighted companies that don't value experience enough - to the detriment of their own efficiency.