How to best deal with bias against experienced engineers looking for work?

3 points by honestduane 3 years ago | 7 comments

How do I best deal with the bias that seems to exist in tech against experienced engineers looking for work in tech due to c19?

This bias seems to exist in two basic ways in my experience based on the questions I have been able to get answered via online threads asking about this:

- They think you're just going to leave for another company that pays better once you can find something better, and they don't believe in their company or its vision enough to consider themselves good enough to stay at, so they don't want to hire you because they consider it impossible that you will stay. They cant possibly believe that somebody wants to join them and work with them.

- They're worried you're going take somebody's job if they hire you, so they don't want to hire you. They assume you are too good to not end up being the boss, and they wont hire you because trey want to protect their own jobs.

So what's left if your not interested in starting your own company or getting our of tech?

What do you do when you legitimately just want to join a good team and build cool stuff fir the long term?

In short, what do developers over 40 do to stay in tech? Because I know too many who hit that over the pandemic and its like they are being removed from tech or something, and I really want to be able to help them.

groffee 3 years ago |

You've got at least three typos there.

It might not be so much an 'age bias' as the way you're presenting yourself.

Just have a friend look-over your resume/projects for silly mistakes like that.

metadat 3 years ago | |

More than three if you take grammar and sentence structure violations into account.

OP: Communication is a vital skill in nearly all facets of life. Before blaming the world, look inwards, inspect and reflect.

kjs3 3 years ago |

I can only think you are looking at some incredibly narrow definition of 'tech' (like "I will only consider SV, VC funded, early stage startup founded by Stanford grads" or "FAANG or nothing!"). I can't think of anyone in my extended peer group (experienced engineers in our 40s & 50s) who doesn't have at least a handful of tech companies banging on the door to avail themselves of that experience. I get a call or 3 a week.

I've certainly run into ageism, particularly past 45, particularly from certain types of companies, but in my experience 'afraid I won't stay' & 'afraid I'll take their job' & other silly excuses in those 'online threads' are usually from people looking for any reason they didn't get the job that doesn't include 'I wasn't the right person for the job'.

To be sure, I expect the general economic slowdown might dent interest, but successful companies run by adults need what we offer.

incomingpain 3 years ago |

>How do I best deal with the bias that seems to exist in tech against experienced engineers looking for work in tech due to c19?

I'm not sure what c19 is but I expect my answer doesn't change.

Here's the reality of how looking for employment works.

You apply to a job, they will give you an interview or not. Doesn't matter if they don't.

At the first interview all the biases of the interviewers will apply. These don't matter.

Your biases will apply, and it's your job to minimize these as much as possible while also maintaining the importance of certain biases. PErsonally I will NEVER work with a micromanager ever again. That's my bias and I'm sticking with that one to the end.

Your job in the interview is to convince them you are capable and ready to help them solve whatever their problems are. This is your job.

Their job in the interview is to convince you to want to work for them. If their biases get in the way, then no big deal at all. Better now than having to deal with it later.

tempxyz 3 years ago |

No idea what you're talking about. I've worked with devs in their 40s and 50s. Looking at an ex-coworker in their 40s now who just got a senior position at paramount.

jqpabc123 3 years ago | |

I've worked with devs in their 40s and 50s.

So have I. But the fact remains that they are way under represented statistically. And it can't all be explained by the fact that they died early or moved into "senior positions".

https://www.legalreader.com/age-discrimination-in-tech/

https://features.propublica.org/ibm/ibm-age-discrimination-a...

https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/facebook-age-discri...

jqpabc123 3 years ago |

In short, what do developers over 40 do to stay in tech?

In short --- start your own company.

The excuses you've been given are all BS. What they are really looking for is someone who will work twice as many hours as you for half your pay.

Sorry to be so blunt but you should have started preparing for this day a long time ago --- like the day you walked into your job, looked around and noticed that those over 40 were a small minority.

Where did all the old techies go? HINT: They didn't all die.