Woah - did I miss the announcement that old is now 35 and above? Given the working range of professional engineers in the SF field, it sad that its not easier to invert the problem and build a Young-Fun-and-Full-of-Recent-Academic-Course-Material-Jobs.com.
No you didn't. It's just that SV only wants to hire people they can make work 80+ hrs. per week (preferably) and who will refer to it as "paying their dues" and be "thankful to get the experience under their belts."
"The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) protects certain applicants and employees 40 years of age and older from discrimination on the basis of age in hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, or terms, conditions or privileges of employment." [0]
OldGeekJobs.com works since it's the reverse of this... essentially discriminating against younger candidates. It's not legal to discriminate against 40+ in the US.
It reverses it by discriminating against the young, fighting ageism with ageism. I didn't realise age discrimination against those younger that 40 was legal in the US. There are other countries where a "jobs for the old" site would most likely be illegal.
Except it's not jobs just for people who are older, it's companies explicitly saying they do not discriminate based on age. No one is saying they'll only hire someone 40+, unless they're looking for 20+ years experience which implies your age.
I don't think that age is old, I find I rather have people who are experienced more important than age. If you have skill, I could care less if you're 80, so long as you get results and share your insights. I've learned plenty from those who are developers for longer amounts of time than me.
A real issue is targeting jobs for people who don't live in places that are known tech hubs. It took me knowing the right person to finally get a 'real job' in the field, and I only got it a few months ago (less than 2) I honestly don't know what I could of done otherwise, I've applied at a number of places and only ever got maybe one email back.
This is just how recruiting works in tech, it's nothing about you personally. Knowing people is really the best way to get work in this industry even in the hubs.
This is why code schools are so successful, unlike a traditional educational institute they are usually run by people who have worked in the industry, who will have the contacts to get you your first job.
