Anyone else concerned they will "age out" of their profession?

[Anonymous]

i am 40 and work in technology as a senior project manager. I enjoy what I do and am good at it. I am getting concerned though that I won't be able to work in my field in my 50s and 60s since younger people will be seen as more desirable. I get so scared about this I think maybe I should shift into a career where my age won't be a detriment. I've got at least 27 years of work left!

Anyone else have a similar fear?

[Anonymous]

This is an understandable fear in any career, but knowledgeable\reliable\experienced people will always be in demand.

Instead of being fearful, make it a point to stay relevant and up to date. Network often, so you have a wide net of contacts, should you ever need them.

Get a cool pair of trendy glasses and a funky haircut. Wear a lot of black.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is an understandable fear in any career, but knowledgeable\reliable\experienced people will always be in demand.

Instead of being fearful, make it a point to stay relevant and up to date. Network often, so you have a wide net of contacts, should you ever need them.

Get a cool pair of trendy glasses and a funky haircut. Wear a lot of black.

You forgot to practice cutting yourself

Go full emo!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i am 40 and work in technology as a senior project manager. I enjoy what I do and am good at it. I am getting concerned though that I won't be able to work in my field in my 50s and 60s since younger people will be seen as more desirable. I get so scared about this I think maybe I should shift into a career where my age won't be a detriment. I've got at least 27 years of work left!

Anyone else have a similar fear?

OP, your management experience will always be valuable. Just be sure to stay up to date with your technical knowledge. There are plenty of smaller consulting firms which hire more experienced people for their ability to plan things at a higher level; the young folk are used to do the actual coding, etc. My former managers all do this type of work, and they are in their 50's and 60's.

[Anonymous]

i am 40 and work in technology as a senior project manager. I enjoy what I do and am good at it. I am getting concerned though that I won't be able to work in my field in my 50s and 60s since younger people will be seen as more desirable. I get so scared about this I think maybe I should shift into a career where my age won't be a detriment. I've got at least 27 years of work left!

Anyone else have a similar fear?

You should. Tech is seen as youth driven and if you are feeling it now it will only get worst. Experience and other things will not over come the feeling that they can get someone younger, with more "drive" and cheaper. I am in sales and see it in many fields, including my own. I don't agree with it, but it happens a lot. One manager showed me the numbers one time. She could hirer two college grads and train them up for the cost of the season worker(high salary demands and healthcare cost)

[Anonymous]

This is the same in many many fields, OP.

Older and more experienced workers cost more money than younger raw ones. At some point, the balance tips when the company decides the older worker is not "worth it" anymore and prefers to risk hiring an inexperienced youngling, with the potential costs of all the mistakes s/he is likely to make.

My 62 year old Dad is in IT, a very experienced manager, and feels he is going to get pushed out any day now.
He has survived many a purge, which ousted all his fellow ITs of his own age.

3 reasons:
1. he drives the implementation of cutting edge IT protocols in the company
2. he has developed into a great manager because of his experience (he wasn't at first - kept complaining about it!)
3. he does his best to network and his colleagues have helped him out of crisis situations.

He is trying to line up consultancy work for when they do push him out.