Contracting and age what age is too old?

[nomadd]

Developers tend to peak at around the age of 24. If I was running a company, I'd get some fresh meat in after that.

Ever wondered why you are not running a company?

Nomadd

[HairyArsedBloke]

Developers tend to peak at around the age of 24. If I was running a company, I'd get some fresh meat in after that.

You've reminded me of someone I used to know who said that he likes young staff. "After they get to about 25 they wise up and start asking for proper money. Younger than that and they are stupid and are just thankful they have a job"

[RichardCranium]

You've reminded me of someone I used to know who said that he likes young staff. "After they get to about 25 they wise up and start asking for proper money. Younger than that and they are stupid and are just thankful they have a job"

So which consultancy was that? KPMG, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, EDS, CSC, Deloitte, etc... All full of graduates gaining work experience, with the taxpayer paying £1,500 a day for the privilege.

[threaded]

Most guys at one of my clients are over 40. They're proper engineers* like, and there don't seem to be that many young'uns coming through the edukashun system, i.e. they just can't get the staff.


proper engineers = several hp calculators to be seen on peeps desks.

[TiroFijo]

Most guys at one of my clients are over 40.

If I was an HM I don't think I would hire a contractor under 35. Any younger than that they just don't have the experience for the most part in terms of contracting, maturity and life in general. Suppose it depends on the culture of the company also.

I don't see being over 40 being an issue either, not every one wants to be a PM or TA etc. If someone is interested in their chosen technology and enjoys what they are doing I would tend to think that they are going to be good at their job regardless of being 30, 40 or 50.

[Paddy]

I asked why this was - a manager said that everyone they've ever taken on over 40 has been crap, so now they don't bother, although they would never admit this openly.

Ironic considering the vast majority of my time is taken up by fixing foul-ups made by young inexperienced people who will do a job in a couple of hours and then it takes weeks or months to undo the damage.

[JoJoGabor]

WIth the risk of sounding Pc, age shouldn't matter, its the individual that matters. I worked for a financial consultancy in the city where the average age was 26, but 90% of the people there would sh!t all over the majority of anyoen else I have met in my career. Yes they needed some guidance on engineering techniques, but picked wverything up quickly and really were superb. Most of them now are high up in Tier1 banks.

I have met 40 year old contractors who are brilliant, some who are utter sh!te. Likewise I have met some sh!te 24 year olds and some utterly brilliant ones.

Unfortunately hiring managers and agents refuse to accept CVs for roles which show less than 5 years experience even if that candidate is the best person, its jsut the nature of the game. I had it in my younger years - "You're very young" then nailed the job if I could actually get in the door

[Brussels Slumdog]

It depends on your skill set and the job role

Talked to a couple of Agents about this. They said they believed if you
could do the job it didn't matter.

There are roles which are more suitable for older guys than younger guys.
Its a question of how to use YOUR age to your advantage
Old equals experience,leadership, communication and knowhow.
Young equals new latest technology,energy drive.

I don't currently have a problem in the SAP world as my area is accounting related. I even have a Perm interview this week. I admit Its always nice to see another contractor/perm older than you.
Most clients see age as experience so your age must reflect your experience.
After spending most of this year on the bench,retirement scares me.
My dream is to have a small pension at about 70 and then carry on doing
a part time role until the end.

[SuperZ]

My dream is to have a small pension at about 70 and then carry on doing
a part time role until the end.

That`s a shi* dream, more like a nightmare. I think I`d be embarrassed and ashamed to be contracting even at 65 and definatley want to enjoy some of MY OWN time before I die. Then again, as I get older (and still skint) my view might change. I`m not even close to 40 yet but had an interesting experience recentlly when I met other candidates and they were all < 30. I`m not sure IT is a career for old age.

I`ve worked with a few older contractors (55-57) and they were all a little strange in one way or another.One thinking he was god because of his age etc, had a lot of false confidence but lied to enforce it. Another was just bonkers. And another constantly fell asleep while us young folks laughed and threw things at him to get the git awake.

[HairyArsedBloke]

I`ve worked with a few older contractors (55-57) and they were all a little strange in one way or another.One thinking he was god because of his age etc, had a lot of false confidence but lied to enforce it. Another was just bonkers. And another constantly fell asleep while us young folks laughed and threw things at him to get the git awake.

Sorry.