Wayne Parham Messages: 18835 Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
It is certainly an issue in engineering and in information technology. There's a "sweet spot" that's most attractive between 10 and 20 years out of college. But that's understandable to me, because that's an age where you would naturally still be full of zeal and wanting to build your career, yet having some years of experience and the wisdom that comes with it.
When I was a young teenager, I knew a man from the church I attended who became a technical mentor to me. His name is Mike McNatt, and was an electrical engineer. At the time, he was in that "sweet spot." He is now 77 years of age and he is still employed as an electrical engineer. He rides bikes long distance like a 30 year old too.
So with the proper attitude, even with the inherent agism in high-tech fields, a guy can be competitive. But you definitely don't see many 77-year-old electrical engineers, still employed as engineers.