Are You Too Old For IT? - InformationWeek

InformationWeek is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them.Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

CIO Insights & Innovation
Security & Risk Strategy
Team Building & Staffing
IT Strategy
Digital Business
Project Management
Programming Languages
Dr. Dobb's
Enterprise Applications
Operating Systems
Productivity/Collaboration Apps
Network Security
Careers & People
Threat Intelligence
IoT
Attacks & Breaches
Application Security
Cloud Security
Endpoint Security
Mobile Security
Perimeter Security
Risk Management
Operations Security
Analytics
Vulnerabilities & Threats
Security & Risk Strategy
Infrastructure as a Service
Platform as a Service
Software as a Service
Cloud Storage
Data Centers
Mobile Applications
Mobile Devices
Mobile Business
Enterprise Mobility Management
AI/Machine Learning
Big Data Analytics
Hardware/Architectures
Software Platforms
IoT
Networking
Wireless Infrastructure
Data Centers
Cloud Infrastructure
Careers and Certifications
Network Security
Government
Healthcare
Wall Street & Technology
Bank Systems & Technology
Insurance & Technology
Industries
Government
Healthcare
Wall Street & Technology
Bank Systems & Technology
Insurance & Technology
IT Life
Careers
Mobile
Mobile Applications
Mobile Devices
Mobile Business
Enterprise Mobility Management
Software
Enterprise Applications
Operating Systems
Productivity/Collaboration Apps
Comments
Are You Too Old For IT?
Newest First  |  Oldest First  |  Threaded View
Page 1 / 2   >   >>
Kristin Burnham
50%
50%
Kristin Burnham,
 User Rank: Author
12/6/2013 | 9:31:10 PM
Re: Re. Comments on Too Old For IT
@turquhart201 -- you nailed it. Young employees can groan about how older ones just "don't get it" and older ones can groan on about how young ones have no respect. The  more important realization is that both bring important qualities to the table, and both should be respected for such.
Susan Fourtané
100%
0%
Susan Fourtané,
 User Rank: Author
11/25/2013 | 9:23:27 AM
Re: Ageism and Sexism
Mariposa, 

Maybe people, and the media are giving too much importance to what Mark Z. says? Let's not forget that FB satrted as a school project, he was not even working on a startup. He was just lucky. 

Also, maybe it's a good idea to remember that Mark Z. is not the sole representative of his generation. There are many others, founders and CEOs of their startups, who are smarter, and think differently. 

-Susan
Joe Stanganelli
50%
50%
Joe Stanganelli,
 User Rank: Author
11/22/2013 | 10:32:42 PM
Re: TOO OLD??? ARE YOU KIDDING????
I'm with you, turquhart.  While I've found that young people are frequently more open to innovation, Those 45+ generally know their stuff more -- and are more passionate about what they do.
Ariella
100%
0%
Ariella,
 User Rank: Author
11/21/2013 | 12:58:21 PM
Re: Are You Too Old For IT?


Those of you who feel the pain of age bias may get a kick out of the video that looks at the flip side: what people think of millenials in the work place with some tongue-in-cheek advice about how to treat them.

 

 
Ariella
50%
50%
Ariella,
 User Rank: Author
11/21/2013 | 10:37:26 AM
Re: Too old and too hard to prove discrimination
@DiscustedOne what you say fits well with the investigations of hiring bias discussed in http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/12/theyre-watching-you-at-work/354681/ Aside from stereotyping older workers as set in their ways or not up to date, in general people who do hiring look for those like them.  They make judgements based on their gut reaction, and they are very often wrong. That's why some places are now using analytics for more objective and more accurate assessment of employee suitability for positions. 
Joe Stanganelli
100%
0%
Joe Stanganelli,
 User Rank: Author
11/21/2013 | 9:51:10 AM
Outdating of skills
I remember reading somewhere that the skills someone learns while pursuing a technical degree become obsolete in three years.  Ultimately, it's about the fundamental understanding.  Experience is a big factor of that.  It's a shame that companies have resorted to this age discrimination while shooting themselves in the foot in the process.
Michael Endler
50%
50%
Michael Endler,
 User Rank: Author
11/20/2013 | 6:55:22 PM
Re: Similar Dynamic
@Thomas-- A friend of mine has had a similar experience. He's about ten years into his career as a software engineer, and every interview he's been to lately, all for senior engineer positions, he's been asked why he isn't applying for management roles.
Tom Murphy
50%
50%
Tom Murphy,
 User Rank: Author
11/20/2013 | 5:13:02 PM
Re: Probably a simple reason
Actually, it was my doctor (a fellow in his late 50s) who gave me that advice about heart surgeons. He also told me that if anyone ever tells you that you need a stent, make sure you go to a big-city hospital instead of your local general hospital. "All the good doctors work in the city," he said.  He lived in the burbs near me.
Tom Murphy
100%
0%
Tom Murphy,
 User Rank: Author
11/20/2013 | 4:35:28 PM
RE: Keepin up with Tech
Howard:  First, thanks for being so frank -- I'm sure there are a lot of us gray beards out here who can relate to your plight.  Personally, I found that happening, so I put myself through the exercise of figuring out why people would want to hire me.  I literally made four lists:

1. Things I do well and in which I have extensive experience. (social media? finance? tech? Writing?)

2. Things I need from a job to make me really happy.  (money? location? flex hours?)

3. Jobs that require expertise in the first list and offer most of the second. 

4. Companies that offer those jobs. Then I approach those companies and tell them affirmatively that I can help them with that job -- whether they are advertising for it or not.

That may sound simplistic, but it has led me to a series of fascinating jobs over the past 20 years. I have even convinced at least three employers to create a job for me.  I'm 60 now, and have no intention of quitting anytime soon, but when I do, I already know what I'm doing next. In fact, I have a few things in the No. 3 group (I keep the list current, just in case.)
Tom Murphy
100%
0%
Tom Murphy,
 User Rank: Author
11/20/2013 | 4:19:11 PM
Women -- of any age.
Ageism is one thing. But even more frightening is the absence of women from the ranks. It's rare to see an IT department where women comprise even 10%.  That ain't right.
Page 1 / 2   >   >>


2021 State of ITOps and SecOps Report
2021 State of ITOps and SecOps Report
This new report from InformationWeek explores what we've learned over the past year, critical trends around ITOps and SecOps, and where leaders are focusing their time and efforts to support a growing digital economy. Download it today!
Download Now!
InformationWeek Is Getting an Upgrade!

Find out more about our plans to improve the look, functionality, and performance of the InformationWeek site in the coming months.

Editors' Choice
News
Remote Work Tops SF, NYC for Most High-Paying Job Openings
Jessica Davis, Senior Editor, Enterprise Apps,  7/20/2021
Slideshows
Blockchain Gets Real Across Industries
Lisa Morgan, Freelance Writer,  7/22/2021
Commentary
Seeking a Competitive Edge vs. Chasing Savings in the Cloud
Joao-Pierre S. Ruth, Senior Writer,  7/19/2021
Register for InformationWeek Newsletters
Video
Current Issue
Monitoring Critical Cloud Workloads Report
In this report, our experts will discuss how to advance your ability to monitor critical workloads as they move about the various cloud platforms in your company.
Download This Issue!
White Papers
Slideshows
Twitter Feed
Sponsored Live Streaming Video
Everything You've Been Told About Mobility Is Wrong
Attend this video symposium with Sean Wisdom, Global Director of Mobility Solutions, and learn about how you can harness powerful new products to mobilize your business potential.
Sponsored Video
Flash Poll