The Truly Vibrant Don't Retire
from the working-towards-100 dept
Recently, there has been a lot of publicity about age discrimination in High Tech companies. I believe that some individuals refuse to change with the times and that can lead to their downfall but also that some narrow minded employers and recruiters do discriminate based on an incorrect vision of old age leading to ineffectiveness in all individuals. I was inspired by an article written by a 70 year old journalist, that is still employed in the computer industry. His mindset is strong and vibrant with what I believe is the correct mindset to stand the test of time by embracing change (equally important for a 21 or 70 year old)!
Comments on “The Truly Vibrant Don't Retire”
Very True
I have found as an older Techie myself (I used punch cards to say “HELLO WORLD”) that businesses are full of people who have not adapted to the new economy. This is true across all disciplines. I have run repeatedly into rampant excess of process. Managers love to schedule meetings and walk around the building at 9:32 to make sure their staff are in their cubes. The first thing I did when I took a position of authority was to cancel mandatory meetings, bring donuts in every morning and allow coders do whatever they needed to do to get the work done (come in at noon, leave at 10 PM). My age has not hurt my career at all because I have adapted to the new economy and have earned the respect of the people I work with for being able to get the job done.