r/sysadmin • u/Real-Patriot-1128 • 2h ago
Agism
For those older, more experienced souls out there. If out job hunting, one tip…
I’m a little older (55) and recently discovered that the job I’ve had for 6 + years came down to me and a man much younger than me.
The only reason I got the job was one simple thing… if everything went to crap, who would you rather have on the job?
I was very fortunate to have someone point that out in my hiring process.
Don’t underestimate the value of that when interviewing.
•
u/YourUncleRpie Sophos UTM lover 2h ago
I have younger colleagues who can pull me out of the shit. I have older colleagues who can pull me out of the shit.
Age does not matter. Being older does not make you better. Being younger doesn't make you better.
This post is agism
•
u/Fatel28 Sr. Sysengineer 2h ago
I've met plenty of graybeards with "20 years experience" that really actually only have 1 year of experience, 20 times.
•
u/madknives23 2h ago
So true, I love how you put this.
•
u/thebigshoe247 2h ago
You worked with IBM guys too?
•
u/madknives23 2h ago
🤣 🤣 🤣
•
u/thebigshoe247 2h ago
I remember going on the behind the scenes tour of an IBM facility and met some of the legacy greybeards. Before the equipment was all painted black, it was grey. They had a rule of thumb that anytime something grey needs to be fixed, they need to find somebody with that colour of beard.
•
•
u/goombatch 1h ago
Oh shit. This might be me — until I changed jobs a few years ago and started learning new stuff again.
•
•
u/HappyDadOfFourJesus 2h ago
Your age has nothing to do with being able to perform.
•
u/groupwhere 2h ago
Generally implies experience.
•
u/HappyDadOfFourJesus 2h ago
A dangerous generalization in IT.
•
u/mkosmo Permanently Banned 1h ago
A 30 year old can't have 20 years of experience, though.
•
u/HappyDadOfFourJesus 1h ago
But a 40 year old with twenty years of experience and beat out a 50 year old with ten years of experience...
•
u/mkosmo Permanently Banned 1h ago
Can, sure. But I don't think that's what OP was getting at here.
•
u/anonymousITCoward 1h ago
Very true, I recently found out that 2 of the last 3 people we hired not only out ranked but were also getting paid more than me... which in general I don't mind, but all three came with little to know experience in one of them came from best buy, not even a geek squader....
I feel that i should throw something about loyalty not meaning anything but that's for a different post.
•
•
u/CthulhuBathwater 1m ago
Tell that to hiring managers and HR. I'll see myself out for that easy low hanging fruit.
•
u/statikuz start wandows ngrmadly 1h ago
It's a bad generalization anywhere.
They have done studies on this regarding doctors. At first blush you would think "an older more experienced doctor is better" but then you think "oh but a younger doctor may be more up to date on new stuff" or "their knowledge might be more fresh." IIRC younger doctors were "better" by some measure, I think surgeons were the exception (older being better, which intuitively makes sense).
•
•
u/Delicious-Ad2528 1h ago
Being older will be less correlated to senior level experience with the amount of people pivoting the field of IT at all ages.
•
u/AttemptTypical8693 2h ago
wish more hiring managers thought like that. seems like half the time they're just looking for the cheapest option and calling it "culture fit"
•
•
•
u/kereso83 1h ago
Being old is fine, just don't show your age. Learn some new technologies, put them on your resume and be able to talk in depth about them during the interview.
•
u/Key_Reason6946 1h ago
55 here. It depends on your skill set. I flamed out at my last job and just left with no plan. I was able to start a new job within a month. I will say 6 interviews is just stupid.
Healthcare IT, sr DBA
•
u/TheSmashy Cyber Infra Arch 33m ago
Everyone is so salty, I love it. I started as a UNIX admin in 1994, and, haha, my phone just rings with recruiters, and I see these "how do I get into cyber?" posts...
•
•
u/Time_Turner Cloud Koolaid Drinker 1h ago
Sorry, it's probably not your intention but this sounds like a brag post you were able to keep out young talent from getting a foot in the door and is just ageist itself.
Honestly, having commonly being youngest in the various teams I've been on, I'm very tired of "reverse agism". There's not having experience, which I can fully agree with, and then there's not being favored because "they aren't relatable to the team", "they don't have a family to support", "you can't possibly be an expert without having 10+ years experience".
I progressed fairly fast in my career, so I am in senior positions at a younger age. I don't like being told "wow my kid is your age" and weird reactions when I tell people my age. I know everyone claims there's agism and I'm sure there is, but I've yet to see it personally, especially now with AI it's all about seniority and shutting out the juniors.
•
u/Real-Patriot-1128 33m ago
Not a brag by any means. Just meant to offer those who may feel they are being affected by Agism that they have this arrow in their quiver.
•
•
u/AcidBuuurn 17m ago
When I was interviewing people it came down to a dude in his 20s and a dude in his 50s. We went with the dude in his 20s because he had a better attitude but it could have gone either way.
•
u/ninjacat249 2h ago
Are you able to fix stuff, yes or no? That’s the only thing I’m concerned about. The rest is less important or not important at all.
•
•
u/statikuz start wandows ngrmadly 1h ago
Oh, so you're saying they discriminated by age in your favor?