Unemployment in Silicon Valley is just 2.2 percent, compared to 4 percent nationally, but that prosperity has not touched Waters. He's convinced that he's not being hired because of his age. A computer industry survey shows that 1.6 million new information technology jobs will be created in the next year, but half of them will go unfilled. Bill Payson, CEO of Senior Techs, an employment Web site for older engineers, blames the youth culture spawned by the Internet generation. If it isn't new, it's no good.
Employers say younger people know the latest computer languages.
But Bob Waters argues older workers can be easily trained. I like to see them take one of their hotshots they hired out of college or with two years of experience, put them in a room with me and give us a task and see who succeeds. Waters says he is not angry. All he wants is a chance to get back into the industry he helped to create. The Senior Staff.