Everyone I know is laid off by age 55

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All looking for advice. Please read previous posts then you won’t need to ask.

Eg

My goal is to be done by 55 and after that just be running up the score or saving for grandkids college or a boat or something. I think that’s the approach all professionals should try to take if they can.


Also

Tall white male or attractive white or really attractive any female.

Also

There can only be finite number of exec positions even in the lower rungs. Top class mba early on is the only way to go. If you wait till your 40s it’s already too late.

Hah, OP here, didn't see these two.

So basically short men or ugly women should scramble to something safe like teaching ASAP?

And if you don't do MBA in your 20s, that path is SOL?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People from India dime a dozen willing to work for half the salary. My company has several of these. They did their PMP and now making more but if I were to compare to PMs before (I am 50, tech manager and make only $85k so safe for now or do I think I) they are way below average. Just being truthful.

I agree with you. A lot of times, you get what you pay for.

But these companies don't care because they are saving as sh1t ton of money. The work product sucks, but they don't care because they don't have to deal with the fall out, and it makes their bottom line look good.

I hope to be done with corporate America in 5 years. Maybe sooner.

[Anonymous]

Are all of you folks in Silicon Valley type high tech? I work for a large nonprofit organization, with an IT department of about 1000 people. I’m 47 and there are many people older than I am. They are valued and they aren’t getting the boot any time soon. I’ve been at this organization for almost 20 years myself!

I am a sysadmin and make 90k (not DC) so probably in a different category than a lot of you. But I enjoy my job, it’s very family friendly, and I love my coworkers. So not all IT is that unstable. Are all these jobs that people are getting fired from very lucrative? It’s always been high risk high reward in IT. If you’re willing to make a comfortable but not eye-popping living, it can be a great career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Compound this with the fact that many people hit this ageism level just as our kids start high school. Get laid off while looking college tuition down the barrel and not old enough to access your retirement funds.

yep, that's why we saved earlier on. We made sacrifices in our 30s/40s so that we don't have to worry so much into our 50s. We also plan on retiring early.

We kept the mortgage small; kept cars for at least 10+ years, and they were nice but not pricey badge cars that cost an arm and a leg to do something simple like replace a battery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are all of you folks in Silicon Valley type high tech? I work for a large nonprofit organization, with an IT department of about 1000 people. I’m 47 and there are many people older than I am. They are valued and they aren’t getting the boot any time soon. I’ve been at this organization for almost 20 years myself!

I am a sysadmin and make 90k (not DC) so probably in a different category than a lot of you. But I enjoy my job, it’s very family friendly, and I love my coworkers. So not all IT is that unstable. Are all these jobs that people are getting fired from very lucrative? It’s always been high risk high reward in IT. If you’re willing to make a comfortable but not eye-popping living, it can be a great career.

Yes. $90k is nothing in IT. That's basically cut rate for a developer at about $45/hour. Dirt cheap.

DS is in his 50s, very senior programmer, knows the area he works on inside and out, but it's an aging platform. His rate is now $95/hr, but it used to be $150/hr. He started looking around for something else, and he is seeing $45/hour. Dirt cheap for a senior programmer.

And it makes us laugh when we look at the "Must Haves" in the job description. They want the moon and stars, but only want to pay $45/hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All looking for advice. Please read previous posts then you won’t need to ask.

Eg

My goal is to be done by 55 and after that just be running up the score or saving for grandkids college or a boat or something. I think that’s the approach all professionals should try to take if they can.


Also

Tall white male or attractive white or really attractive any female.

Also

There can only be finite number of exec positions even in the lower rungs. Top class mba early on is the only way to go. If you wait till your 40s it’s already too late.

Hah, OP here, didn't see these two.

So basically short men or ugly women should scramble to something safe like teaching ASAP?

And if you don't do MBA in your 20s, that path is SOL?

Pretty much, I am an ugly woman and it’s either that, or I pick up the slack of my attractive colleagues and work myself to death to be employed as eternal senior analyst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are all of you folks in Silicon Valley type high tech? I work for a large nonprofit organization, with an IT department of about 1000 people. I’m 47 and there are many people older than I am. They are valued and they aren’t getting the boot any time soon. I’ve been at this organization for almost 20 years myself!

I am a sysadmin and make 90k (not DC) so probably in a different category than a lot of you. But I enjoy my job, it’s very family friendly, and I love my coworkers. So not all IT is that unstable. Are all these jobs that people are getting fired from very lucrative? It’s always been high risk high reward in IT. If you’re willing to make a comfortable but not eye-popping living, it can be a great career.

Yes. $90k is nothing in IT. That's basically cut rate for a developer at about $45/hour. Dirt cheap.

DS is in his 50s, very senior programmer, knows the area he works on inside and out, but it's an aging platform. His rate is now $95/hr, but it used to be $150/hr. He started looking around for something else, and he is seeing $45/hour. Dirt cheap for a senior programmer.

And it makes us laugh when we look at the "Must Haves" in the job description. They want the moon and stars, but only want to pay $45/hour.

Oh, our developers make more. I’m functional. My guess is that our developers make around 120, with excellent benefits. Not sure if that seems dirt cheap to you too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are all of you folks in Silicon Valley type high tech? I work for a large nonprofit organization, with an IT department of about 1000 people. I’m 47 and there are many people older than I am. They are valued and they aren’t getting the boot any time soon. I’ve been at this organization for almost 20 years myself!

I am a sysadmin and make 90k (not DC) so probably in a different category than a lot of you. But I enjoy my job, it’s very family friendly, and I love my coworkers. So not all IT is that unstable. Are all these jobs that people are getting fired from very lucrative? It’s always been high risk high reward in IT. If you’re willing to make a comfortable but not eye-popping living, it can be a great career.

Yes. $90k is nothing in IT. That's basically cut rate for a developer at about $45/hour. Dirt cheap.

DS is in his 50s, very senior programmer, knows the area he works on inside and out, but it's an aging platform. His rate is now $95/hr, but it used to be $150/hr. He started looking around for something else, and he is seeing $45/hour. Dirt cheap for a senior programmer.

And it makes us laugh when we look at the "Must Haves" in the job description. They want the moon and stars, but only want to pay $45/hour.

Oh, our developers make more. I’m functional. My guess is that our developers make around 120, with excellent benefits. Not sure if that seems dirt cheap to you too!

It is. I'm functional, and my rate used to be $90/hour. Now, of course, companies are going cheap -- see above post.

DH's last FTE job he had years ago (about 7?), he was making $160K, with excellent benefits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are all of you folks in Silicon Valley type high tech? I work for a large nonprofit organization, with an IT department of about 1000 people. I’m 47 and there are many people older than I am. They are valued and they aren’t getting the boot any time soon. I’ve been at this organization for almost 20 years myself!

I am a sysadmin and make 90k (not DC) so probably in a different category than a lot of you. But I enjoy my job, it’s very family friendly, and I love my coworkers. So not all IT is that unstable. Are all these jobs that people are getting fired from very lucrative? It’s always been high risk high reward in IT. If you’re willing to make a comfortable but not eye-popping living, it can be a great career.

Yes. $90k is nothing in IT. That's basically cut rate for a developer at about $45/hour. Dirt cheap.

DS is in his 50s, very senior programmer, knows the area he works on inside and out, but it's an aging platform. His rate is now $95/hr, but it used to be $150/hr. He started looking around for something else, and he is seeing $45/hour. Dirt cheap for a senior programmer.

And it makes us laugh when we look at the "Must Haves" in the job description. They want the moon and stars, but only want to pay $45/hour.

You sound like you are quitting 1099 rates. You would cut 30% off that rate for equivalent job with benefits, so in reality are we comparing $45 to $66? Also PP is in LCOL — are you also in a low LCOL — they may have a decent arrangement comparatively. Thought at $150/hr, your DH was killin it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are all of you folks in Silicon Valley type high tech? I work for a large nonprofit organization, with an IT department of about 1000 people. I’m 47 and there are many people older than I am. They are valued and they aren’t getting the boot any time soon. I’ve been at this organization for almost 20 years myself!

I am a sysadmin and make 90k (not DC) so probably in a different category than a lot of you. But I enjoy my job, it’s very family friendly, and I love my coworkers. So not all IT is that unstable. Are all these jobs that people are getting fired from very lucrative? It’s always been high risk high reward in IT. If you’re willing to make a comfortable but not eye-popping living, it can be a great career.

Yes. $90k is nothing in IT. That's basically cut rate for a developer at about $45/hour. Dirt cheap.

DS is in his 50s, very senior programmer, knows the area he works on inside and out, but it's an aging platform. His rate is now $95/hr, but it used to be $150/hr. He started looking around for something else, and he is seeing $45/hour. Dirt cheap for a senior programmer.

And it makes us laugh when we look at the "Must Haves" in the job description. They want the moon and stars, but only want to pay $45/hour.

Oh, our developers make more. I’m functional. My guess is that our developers make around 120, with excellent benefits. Not sure if that seems dirt cheap to you too!

It is. I'm functional, and my rate used to be $90/hour. Now, of course, companies are going cheap -- see above post.

DH's last FTE job he had years ago (about 7?), he was making $160K, with excellent benefits.

.... forgot to add to my post.. my last FTE job as a BSA about 10 yrs ago I was making $160K, excellent benefits, and huge bonuses, I'm talking $20K, stock options, etc.

[Anonymous]

This is why so many older teachers are holding on. It’s not that they can’t do anything else. It’s that no one is hiring 55 year olds in any field.

[Anonymous]

What about the elite tech companies. If I do something amazing, like develop a popular service or app that goes viral at age 45, and get hired at a FAANG do they have the same ageism?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about the elite tech companies. If I do something amazing, like develop a popular service or app that goes viral at age 45, and get hired at a FAANG do they have the same ageism?

My friend just got hired at FAANG at the ripe age of 53. Math PhD from one of the top US schools, data scientist with many years of experience. He said the technical interview was tough, but as long as you can pass it, you are good. Oh, and he is not US born, speaks with a significant accent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are all of you folks in Silicon Valley type high tech? I work for a large nonprofit organization, with an IT department of about 1000 people. I’m 47 and there are many people older than I am. They are valued and they aren’t getting the boot any time soon. I’ve been at this organization for almost 20 years myself!

I am a sysadmin and make 90k (not DC) so probably in a different category than a lot of you. But I enjoy my job, it’s very family friendly, and I love my coworkers. So not all IT is that unstable. Are all these jobs that people are getting fired from very lucrative? It’s always been high risk high reward in IT. If you’re willing to make a comfortable but not eye-popping living, it can be a great career.

Yes. $90k is nothing in IT. That's basically cut rate for a developer at about $45/hour. Dirt cheap.

DS is in his 50s, very senior programmer, knows the area he works on inside and out, but it's an aging platform. His rate is now $95/hr, but it used to be $150/hr. He started looking around for something else, and he is seeing $45/hour. Dirt cheap for a senior programmer.

And it makes us laugh when we look at the "Must Haves" in the job description. They want the moon and stars, but only want to pay $45/hour.

Oh, our developers make more. I’m functional. My guess is that our developers make around 120, with excellent benefits. Not sure if that seems dirt cheap to you too!

It is. I'm functional, and my rate used to be $90/hour. Now, of course, companies are going cheap -- see above post.

DH's last FTE job he had years ago (about 7?), he was making $160K, with excellent benefits.

Fair! It’s confirming my suspicion that these ageist layoffs are in highly compensated roles. As I said, high risk, high reward. It’s always been like that in tech.

We are hiring for what might seem peanuts compared to some of the jobs out there, but there is security, work life balance, and stellar benefits. And you won’t get laid off for getting old, as long as you are still good at your job.

There also may just be a recalibration going on for what tech jobs are worth on the open market.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about the elite tech companies. If I do something amazing, like develop a popular service or app that goes viral at age 45, and get hired at a FAANG do they have the same ageism?

Maybe not at hiring, just could be at the performance review stage - TL assigns you devops work, sets unrealistic goals and tells you even though you did a good job you still got stack ranked in bottom tier and slaps a PIP in you within 6 month of hire …