Too old at 50 8

[chris9]

I know an engineering manager who was made redundant at the age of 50. He tried for six months to find a similar position but was eventually forced into driving taxis to support his family. He has now started up his own taxi firm and is doing OK.

I don’t think this is an isolated case. I am in my early thirties and every time I attend engineering meetings with other companies I find myself surrounded by other people who are of a similar age.

I believe I have around 20 years left before I too become unemployable. Why don’t employers value the older experienced engineer?

 

[arunmrao]

Small companies employing 50 -200 employees form the core on which large companies thrive. It is easier to be a part of large company with limited functions and responsibilities,while in a small company a different kind of mindset is needed.

Though there is a limited availability of funds(perpetually!!) and facilities, there is a vast amount of freedom available to think differently and perform. This is the greatest joy I derive at 50 years age in my own company.

 

[sean01]

Hi all,

I run a design consultancy in the Uk - and in my experience of recruiting - I just set a couple of past examples of our existing work for any interviewees to mull over at the interview and then judge them on the quality of answer they give. To date this has led me to recruit people from the age of 24 upto 63 - I also have two guys who work for me who are already 65 and have asked to stay on and I have gladly let them. Additionally - I have a jig and tool designer who has no qualifications at all - but is more than capable at his job.

I don't believe that I am unique in my position - several other companies I deal with use similar procedures - bizarrely - my experience has been that people who are over 50 are cheaper to employ - as they are not trying to pay of a graduate loan or save a deposit for a house etc. Additionally they are loyal, experienced and not looking to use the first company they join after university as a stepping stone to greatness before actually gaining any experience.

Although I sympathise with the original predicament - I think personally that the issue of being too old at 50 is part of a much larger problem of there not being enough engineering jobs for the trained population here in the Uk because most mech jobs are moving to LLCCs. Its my personal belief the need to retrain into other industries is probably going to come to us all at some time irrespective of our age - and joining a service industry isn't a bad idea - a lot of my friends seem to be leaving engineering to become plumbers !!

Just my two pennyworth

Sean