Anyone see that programme last night?

[SuperZ]

A bit harsh! The guy was in his 50's with 2 young kids living in a leafy Surrey suburb, probably a little late to start learning C++ to save his family home and lifestyle.

If computers disappeared tomorrow most people on here would be driving cabs, it's not easy to completely change direction. Take it from someone who knows, I have to compete with people in their 20's where I'm near 40 with only 7 years IT experience. For the first time in my life I think I am being discriminated against because of my age.

Personally I think you've been a bit unlucky, and I don't think 40 is an age for discrimination to come into it.
Try to keep positive, things will improve.

[oracleslave]

Try to keep positive, things will improve.

I don't think they will, and I don't mean that specifically in GJ's case. A whole sub-section/layer call it what you want of jobs have gone offshore from the UK IT industry. They ain't coming back in our life-time. The affect is that there are rafts of people that are unable to find work and are unable to re-train into other areas.

[sasguru]

I don't think they will, and I don't mean that specifically in GJ's case. A whole sub-section/layer call it what you want of jobs have gone offshore from the UK IT industry. They ain't coming back in our life-time. The affect is that there are rafts of people that are unable to find work and are unable to re-train into other areas.

WHS. And you definitely get discriminated against when you're 40 if you're a techie. I've done it myself when hiring - Lets say I have a 40 year old who wants £50K and has been in IT for 20 years but has 5 years of the relevant technology. Or I have a 27 year old who has just the 5 years of the the relavent technology but wants £35K. The extra value provided by the older bloke is unlikely to be £15K worth if he's just a a techie.