And, while it's illegal to ask an employee's age, Pickering says it's pretty easy figuring out an applicant's approximate age from dates of early jobs and the year he graduated college. Like SeniorTechs, it's free to candidates, but employers pay to use the list. Certainly age prejudice eliminates many talented 50-plus candidates from job eligibility. But it's rusty skills that stand in the way for most older techies, according to Payson, who is just as tough on seniors as he is on the employers who won't hire them. If you haven't worked in three years, your skill level isn't up to par.
Companies demand candidates who are current with the latest technologies.
When you consider that about 60 percent of the computer systems in the world are technically obsolete, there should be plenty of work for older techs who can bridge old and new technologies. Payson is equally impatient with corporate human resources departments. Certainly age prejudice eliminates many talented 50-plus candidates. Older techs no longer have to worry about having outmoded skills. Payson recently announced an alliance with CBT Systems, a provider of interactive courseware for information technology training.